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BEAZIL  MD  LA  PLATA: 


THE 


PERSONAL    RECORD    OE  A   CRUISE 


BY 

C.  S.  STEWART,  A.M.,  U.  S.  K, 

ATJTHOE  OF 

A     RESIDEXCE     AT     THE     SANDWICH     ISLANDS,"     "  VISIT     TO     THE     SOUTH    SEAS, 

*' SKETCHES    IN    GREAT   BRITAIN    AND    IRELAND,"  ETC.,  ETC. 


"Sail  forth  into  the  sea,  O  ship! 
Through  wind  and  wave  right  onward  steer! 
The  moistened  eye,  the  trembling  lip. 
Are  not  the  signs  of  doubt  and  fear.— 
Sail  forth,  nor  fear  to  breast  the  sea ! 
Our  hearts,  our  hopes,  are  all  with  thee ! " 

Longfellow. 


NEW  YORK: 
a.   P.PUTNAM    &    CO.,  321   BROADWAY. 

1856. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1856, 

Br  G.  P.  PUTNAM  &  CO., 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  tlio  Southern 

District  of  New  York. 


John  F.  Tkow, 

Printer  and  Stereotyper,  311  &  319  Broadway, 
Comer  of  White  street. 


TO 

MY   DAUGHTERS, 

THIS  YOLUME 

DRAWN   FEOM   MANUSCRIPTS   ADDRESSED   TO   THEM, 
IS     AFFECTIONATELY 


PREFACE 


I 


I 


Two  inducements  have  led  to  tlie  publication  of  the 
following  volume :  one,  the  favor  with  which  similar 
works  from  my  pen  have  been  received  ;  the  other,  the 
belief  that  a  book  of  fact,  for  light  reading,  would  be  wel- 
come to  many,  amid  the  floods  of  fiction  of  the  present 
day. 

It  was  with  no  purpose  of  making  a  book,  that  the 
record  from  which  the  volume  is  drawn  was  kept ;  on  the 
contrary,  the  chief  difficulty  I  have  found,  in  fitting  it  for 
the  press,  has  arisen,  from  its  being  so  strictly  personal 
and  private.  To  remodel  the  manuscript  so  as  to  change 
its  character  in  these  respects,  would  have  been  a  labor 
which  I  was  unwilling  to  undertake  ;  and  to  select  from  it 
such  matter  as  might  be  at  once  suitable  for  publication, 
and  acceptable  to  the  general  reader,  without  affecting  the 
connection  and  unity  of  the  whole,  has  proved  a  task  not 
easily  acomplished.  In  attempting  it,  I  may  have  erred 
in  judgment   by  putting  into  print,  in  some  instances, 


VI  PREFACE. 

what  might  better  have  been  omitted  ;  and  again  perhaps, 
in  others  by  omitting  what  would  have  been  welcomed  by 
the  reader. 

Besides  such  matter  as  was  essential  in  giving  an  out- 
line of  the  cruise  of  the  Congress,  and  such  observation 
of  the  places  visited  by  her,  as  would  be  expected  in  a 
work  of  the  kind,  I  have  thought  it  proper  to  retain  of  that 
which  related  specifically  to  the  ship,  sufficient  to  convey  a 
general  idea  of  life  on  board  a  man-of-war  ;  and  also,  of 
that  which  referred  to  myself  in  my  office,  enough  to 
throw  light  upon  the  position,  duties,  and  influence  of  a 
chaplain  in  the  naval  service. 

Should  the  volume  meet  with  any  degree  of  accept- 
ance from  the  public  in  general,  I  shall  be  grateful ;  and 
should  its  circulation  be  limited  to  the  decks  of  a  man-of- 
war,  or  to  the  forecastle  of  a  merchant-ship,  the  object  in 
its  publication  will  not  be  entirely  lost. 

c.  s.  s. 

Riverside,  1856. 


CONTENTS 


( 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE 

Departure  from  Cape  Henry — Sacrifices  in  Naval  Life — Evening  Prayers — First  Ca- 
sualty— Sabbath  at  Sea— Scene  in  the  Gulf  Stream — My  Ship  and  Shipmates— The 
Crew, 1 

CHAPTEE  II. 

Great  Caycos — Case  of  Punishment — The  Cat-o'-nine  Tails— Moral  Effects  of  the  Lash 
— Evening  on  board  a  Man-of-War — Scenes  off  Havana— Entrance  into  Port,        .    13 

CHAPTEE  III 

The  Prisoners  of  Contoy— Excitement  at  Havana— The  Captain  General  and  Chief  of 
Police— Visits  of  Ceremony — Drive  on  Shore— The  Yolante— Puseo  and  Champs 
do  Mars— Evening  Promenade — Visit  to  Eegla  by  Night— The  Captive  Filibusters 
—Destiny  of  Cuba,  .' 26 

CHAPTEE  IV. 

Gulf  of  Florida— The  "Wreckers— Incidents  in  the  Sick  Bay— Maury's  Wind  and  Cur- 
rent Charts— The  Doldrums — Crossing  the  Line — Neptune  Aboard — Dreams  of 
Home — Impediments  to  Piety  on  board  a  Man-of-War — Giving  up  Grog,       .        .    i'A 

CHAPTER  V. 

Cape  Frio — Coast  Scene — Bay  of  Eio — Reminiscence  of  the  Past — City  of  Rio — Yel- 
low Fever — Equipages — Drive  to  Botafogo — A  Troi)ical  Home,       ....    58 

CHAPTEE  VI. 

First  Impressions  at  Rio — Mixture  of  Races— Senate  Chamber— Imperial  Legislature 
— Form  of  Government — Council  of  State— Ministry — Nobility— The  Court  in 
State — The  Emperor  and  Empress, 70 


Vm  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEE  VII. 

PAGE 

Cemetery  of  Gamboa — Governor  Kent— Tomb  of  tlie  Hon.  William  Tudor— Island 
and  Fortress  of  Yillegagnon — Discovery  of  Brazil — Huguenot  Colonists — Treach- 
ery of  Yillegagnon — Progi-ess  in  Civilization — State  of  tlie  Empire— Its  Dangers 
and  Safeguards, 80 

CHAPTEE  VIII. 

Praya  Grande  and  Praya  San  Domingo — Bay  of  St.  Francis  Xavier — Passage  to  the 
Plata — Montevideo  —  Sea-Birds — Cape  Pigeon — Albatross — Booby — Stormy  Pe- 
trel—Dolphin— Nautilus— Portuguese  Man-of-War, 90 

CHAPTEE  IX. 

Eio  de  Janeiro — The  City  Palace — Scenes  at  Court — Mode  of  Presentation — Charac- 
ter of  the  Emperor  and  Empress — Their  Habits  of  Life — Suppression  of  Slave 
Trade — Illness  of  a  Sailor-boy — First  Death  on  board  the  Congress,        .        .        .  104 

CHAPTEE  X. 

All  Souls''  Day — Church  and  Convent  of  San  Antonio — Commemoration  of  the  Dead 
— Manner  of  preserving  the  Bones  of  the  Dead — Ascent  of  the  Corcovado — Pano- 
ramic View — Sources  of  the  Aqueduct — Its  Construction  and  History — Descent  of 
the  Hill  of  Santa  Theresa, 117 

CHAPTEE  XI. 

Prisons  and  Prison  Discipline — Ball  on  Ship-board — Fete  at  the  American  Ambassa- 
dor's—Western Suburbs  of  Eio — Country  Seat  of  Mr.  E British  Flag-Ship 

— Admiral  and  Mr.  Eeynolds — Garden  of  Don  Juan  M Madame  M .  128 

CHAPTEE  XII. 

Weather  at  Eio — Meteorological  Changes — Mountain  Walks— Shops  and  Shopping 
— Eestrictions  upon  Females  by  Custom — Slaves  at  Auction — Birthday  of  Don 
Pedro  II. — National  Hymn  and  Air — A  Yankee  Captain's  Opinion  of  Court  State 
— The  Emperor  afloat, 143 

CHAPTEE  XIII. 

Wedding  at  the  American  Consulate— Marriage  at  the  Orphan  Asylum — Foundling 
Hospital— Foreign  Commerce- Arrivals  in  Port — U.  S.  Sloop  St.  Mary— Captain 
Magruder — Botanical  Garden — Storm  from  the  Corcovado — Fete  at  the  Chapel 
Santa  Lucia— Churches  on  Christmas  Eve— Twelfth  Night  Party— Youthful  Piety 
in  Military  Life, 154 

CHAPTEE  XIV. 

Montevideo — Its  Political  Condition — First  Impressions  on  Shore — Mr.  H and 

Family — British  Church  and  Services, 16G 


CONTENTS.  IX 

CHAPTER  xy. 

PAGE 

Buenos  Ayres— Mode  of  Landing— Eeccption  of  Commodore  McKeover— Evening 
Drive — Negro  Washerwomen — Carts  of  the  Pampas — Washington's  Birthday — 
Mr.  Harris,  American  Cliarge  d' Affaires — Quinta  of  Palermo — Dona  Manuehta  de 
Eosas — Pleasure  Gromuls — Interview  with  Rosas — His  Appearance  and  Conver- 
8ation, 173 

CHAPTER  XVL 

The  Argentine  Confederation— Early  Life  of  Eosas— A  Type  of  the  People— Life  In 
the  Pampas — Police  of  Buenos  Ayres — Description  of  the  City — Visit  to  the 
Conde  de  Bessi — Nuncio  from  the  Pope, 188 

CHAPTER  XVIL 

Montevideo — Store-ship    Southampton — Dr.   C ,  Fleet  Surgeon  —  The  Poor  of 

Montevideo— French  Troops— Dress  of  the  Guacho— Mr.  and  Madame  L 

Mrs.  Z Pamperos  at  Montevideo — Diseases  of  the  Climate — Marriage  of  Dr. 

K of  the  St.  Louis— Funeral  of  Mrs.  S Protestant  Burial-Ground,         .  198 

CHAPTER  XYIIL 

Island  of  St.  Catherine— Scenery  at  Santa  Cruz— Captain  Cathcart  acting  Consul — 
City  of  Desterro— Its  Public  Square — Market  Place—Hotel- Civility  of  the  In- 
habitants— Manufactures  of  Flowers  in  Feathers  and  Shells — Dinner — Waiter  and 
Waitress — Walks  at  Santa  Cruz — An  Unexpected  Recognition — Dangerous  AValk- 
ing  Ground, 209 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Return  to  Rio  de  Janeiro — Winter  Weather  there — The  Larangeiras  or  Orange  Val- 
ley— Walk  along  the  Aqueduct — Festivals  of  the  Romish  Church — Corpus  Christ! 
and  St.  John's  Days — Marriages  at  the  Orphan  Asjium- Hospital  of  the  Misera- 

cordia — Magnificence  of  the  New  Building — Country  Seat  of  Mr.  M Scenes 

at  a  Wedding — Lieut.  R Smuggled  Liquor  and  the  Consequence — A  Reproof 

to  Despondency, 220 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Political  State  of  Montevideo — Defection  of  Urquiza — Address  of  Rosas — Retreat  of 
Oribe — Visit  to  the  Mount — Pacification  at  Montevideo — Termination  of  the  Siege 
— Scenes  in  the  Streets  and  Suburbs, 237 

CHAPTER  XXL 

Visit  to  Urquiza — His  Encampment  at  Pantanoso — Marque6  of  Commander-in-Chief 
— Travelling  Carriage  and  Baggage  Wagon — Adjutant  on  Duty — Reception — Per- 
sonal Appearance  of  Urquiza — His  Pet  Mastiff" — Professed  Purposes  of  the  Libera- 
tor— His  past  History  and  Domestic  Relations — The  Cerri'to  and  its  Fortress — 
Town  of  Restoracion — A  Gilpin-like  Eide— Guacho  Soldiers  in  Camp— Their  Dress, 
Pastime  and  Subsistence — Mode  of  Slaughtering  Cattle— Proclamation  by  Urquiza,  249 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEE  XXII. 

PAGE 

Eeturn  to  Brazil— Assault  of  a  Eunner  on  board  the  Congress— Captain  Mcintosh— 
His  Transfer  to  the  Falmouth— Departure  for  the  United  States— Making  Daylight 
— Ship's  Library— Sailors  as  Headers — Street  Calls  in  Eio — Civility  and  Patience  of 
the  People— Disinclination  to  locomotion— Omnibuses— Mules  and  Omnibus 
Drivers, 266 

CHAPTEE  XXIII. 

San  Aliexo — Mr.  and  Mrs.  M Steam  Packet — Passengers — Image  "Venders — San 

Antonio — Superstition  of  the  People — Experience  in  Miracles — Admiral  T 

Luncheon — Negro  Yalet — Piedade — An  American  "Wagon — "\Yhite  Mules — Turn- 
pike— Character  of  the  Scenery — Town  of  Maje — Private  Eoad  of  Mr.  M 

Cotton  Factory  and  American  House — Sabbath  at  San  Aliexo — Eomish  Clergy — 
Peak  Valley  and  Eiver — Eain  in  the  Mountains— Sudden  Else  in  the  Streams — 
Mandioca  Mill— Difficulties  encountered  by  Mr.  M , 2T5 

CHAPTEE  XXIV. 

Christmas— Marriage  of  Miss  K Negroes  in  the  Holidays — Scene  of  Eevelry  in 

the  Larangeiras — Amusing  Street  Scene — Custom-House  Eegulations — Character- 
istic want  of  Confidence — Security  of  Property  and  Person — Criminal  Prosecu- 
tions— Forms  in  Court — Manner  of  taking  the  Oath — Public  executions — Eeturn 
to  Montevideo— State  of  Affairs  in  the  Plata— Invasion  of  Buenos  Ayres  by  Ur- 
quiza— Tragic  Fate  of  Missi<maries  in  Terra  del  Fuego, 291 

CHAPTEE  XXV. 

Overthrow  of  Eosas— Dona  Manuclita  at  Palermo— Her  Escape  at  Night  in  Disguise 
on  board  an  English  Man-of-'War— Pillage  in  Buenos  Ayres— First  Checked  by  the 
Marines  of  the  Congi-ess  and  Jamestown— Summary  Punishment  of  the  Marau- 
ders—Urquiza  at  Palei-mo— General  Terero— Visit  to  the  "Wounded  in  the  Hospi- 
tal-Suburbs of  the  City— English  Burial-Ground— Government  House  built  by 
Eosas, 307 

CHAPTEE  XXVL 

Battle  field  of  Monte  Caseros— Scenes  on  the  "Way— Santos  Lugares— Anecdotes  of 
the  Conflict— Triumphal  Entry  of  the  Allied  Armies  into  Buenos  Ayres— Te 
Deum  at  the  Cathedral  and  Thanksgiving  Sermon, 822 

CHAPTEE  XXVIL 

Hospitality  in  Buenos  Ayres— Eeturn  to  Montevideo— Public  Ecjoicings— Admirals 
Lepredour  and  Grenfell— Deep-Sea  Soundings— Sea  Scene— "Walks  at  Desterro — 
Praya  Compreda— A  Yankee  Cobbler— Eide  to  San  Pedro  d'Alcantara— Indoor 
Scenes— Our  Host  and  his  Housemaid— Preparations  for  the  Night— Chapel  and 
Cemetery— Mountain  Scenery— Morning  Visit  to  a  German  Family— A  Feat  of 
Agility— Luncheon— Milk  and  Mandioca— Departure  from  San  Pedro— Eide  by 
Night, 834 


i 


CONTENTS.  XI 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

PAGE 

Desterro — Mr.  Wells— Funeral  of  a  Child— Evening  Walk — A  Novena— Singular 
Usage — Auction  at  the  Church — Mock  Emperor — Evening  Eide — Mountain  View 
— Habits  in  Rural  Life — Indians — Yenomous  Snakes — Antidote  for  the  Poison  of 
Snakes — Whit-Sunday — Coronation  of  the  Mock  Emperor — President  of  Si.  Cathe- 
rine— Preaching  by  the  Vicar — Appointment  and  Support  of  the  Clergy — Pastime 

at  Santa  Cruz — Impoverished  Germans — Estate  of  Las  Palmas — Senor  de  L 

Antonio  de  L Coup  d'Etat  by  Urquiza — Rev.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lore — Protes- 
tant Churches — Rural  Scenes — Native  Cows — Hon.  Mr.  Schenck — Rev.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Fletcher, 859 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

Ascent  of  the  Sierra  of  the  Organ  Mountains~Frieschal~La  Barriera— Mules  and  Mule- 
teers—Mountain Wood  in  Flower— Boa  Vista — H Hall— Arrival  at  Constantia 

—Mr.  Heath— His  Estate— Slaves  and  their  Treatment— Morning  and  Evening 
Benedictions — Mountain  Route  to  Pet'ropolis — Woodland  Scenery — Monkeys — 
Isolated  Peaks — Valley  of  Piabanha — Mule  Riding — Petropolis — German  Protes- 
tant Church, 401 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

Buenos  Ayres  in  1853— Revolution  and  Civil  War — Mode  of  Conducting  it— Savage 
Atrocities  of  the  Outside  Party— Failure  of  all  Mediations  in  effecting  a  Pacifica- 
tion— Final  Departure  of  Commodore  McKeever  and  Suite — Homeward  Bound,  .  418 

Postscript 425 


BRAZIL    AND    LA   PLATA. 


CHAPTER     I. 

U.  S.  Ship  Congeess,  Capes  of  Vikginia. 

June  Hh,  1850. — The  time  for  my  promised  record  has 
arrived  :  the  Congress  is  at  sea.  This  afternoon,  with  light  and 
baffling  winds,  in  a  most  lazy  and  listless  manner  she  gained  a 
distance  of  ten  miles  outside  of  Cape  Henry,  where,  a  breeze 
springing  up  sufficiently  fresh  to  insure  an  offing  before  nightfall, 
the  pilot  took  his  leave  for  the  land  and  we  filled  away  upon  the 
sea. 

The  8th  of  June  thus  becomes  for  a  second  time  an  anniver- 
sary with  me.  Twenty  years  ago  to-day,  amid  the  bright  beauty 
of  a  summer's  afternoon,  I  entered  the  bay  of  New  York  from  a 
voyage  of  the  world.  But,  in  what  wide  contrast  were  the  feel- 
ings of  that  hour  with  those  of  this  in  which  I  now  write  !  Then, 
the  sunshine  of  the  soul,  beaming  from  face  to  face  and  reflected 
from  eye  to  eye,  outrivalled  the  brightness  of  the  joyous  scene 
around.  We  were  safely  at  home,  after  a  long  and  adventurous 
absence,  and  within  reach  of  the  salutations  and  embraces  of 
1 


2  BKAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

those  we  most  loved.  Now,  there  is  sunshine  neither  without  nor 
within  :  without,  a  thick  and  gloomy  haze  obscures  its  smiles, 
and  within,  the  sadness  of  separation  for  years  from  home  and 
country,  with  all  the  uncertainty  of  its  issues,  entirely  beclouds 
them.  There  is  nothing  joyous  to  us  in  the  "  glad  sea :  "  it  does 
not  dance  in  our  eyes  as  it  was  wont,  or  as  we  have,  at  times  at 
least,  imagined  it  to  do. 

Little  do  they  who  may  envy  the  lot  of  an  officer  in  the  navy 
— in  its  opportunities  of  varied  travel,  the  knowledge  it  affords 
of  men  and  things,  and  observation  of  nature  in  her  most  im- 
pressive forms — know  at  what  a  sacrifice  of  the  affections,  in  their 
choicest  exercise,  and  by  what  a  penalty  of  wearisome  duty,  in 
irksome  routine,  the  privileges  of  the  position  are  bought.  A 
sacrifice  and  a  penalty  which,  when  the  novelty  of  travel  and 

"  The  magic  charm  of  foreign  land  ** 

are  passed,  and  the  enthusiasm  of  youth  is  chastened  by  the  ex- 
periences of  maturer  years,  are  felt  with  a  keenness  which,  to  be 
justly  appreciated,  must  be  personally  known.  The  long  con- 
viction of  this  has  been  impressed  afresh  upon  my  mind  by  an 

incident  of  the  passing  hour.     Mr.  B ,  a  gentleman  of  wealth 

and  distinguished  social  position  in  one  of  our  principal  cities, 
has  for  some  days  past  been  a  guest  of  the  ward-room  mess,  as 
the  close  friend  of  a  fellow  officer.  He  chose  to  accompany  us 
to  the  open  sea,  and  risk  the  discomfort  of  a  night  on  board  the 
pilot  boat  in  a  return  to  the  shore,  rather  than  take  leave  at  an 
earlier  moment.  While  the  little  craft  was  still  hovering  around 
us,  waiting  the  signal  to  approach  and  take  off  its  master  and  his 
passenger,  the  officer  referred  to,  in  momentary  expectation  of 
this  second  leavetaking  of  home,  as  it  were,  in  parting  from  one 
who  was  going  directly  to  his  family,  approaching  me,  exclaimed, 
in  a  spirit  of  half  desperation — "  Oh  1  Mr.  S ,  if  I  were  in  cir- 
cumstances to  live  on  shore  with  my  family  independently  of  my 
profession,  I  would  go  straight  over  the  sides  of  the  ship  into 


EVENING   PRAYER.  8 

tliat  boat,  and  throw  my  commission  to  the  winds.  When  I  think 
of  my  wife  and  children,  I  feel  as  if  I  would  dig  and  grub — do 
any  thing  for  an  honest  living — rather  than  thus  for  three  years 
leave  them  for  a  drudgery  so  distasteful  to  me  as  life  on  board 
a  man-of-war  in  time  of  peace,  with  scarce  an  object  but  to 
get  through  an  irksome  duty."  Such  must  be  the  feelings,  in  a 
greater  or  less  degree,  of  every  sea-ofl&cer  who  has  reached  the 
meridian  of  life  ;  and  such  would  be  my  own,  were  there  not  con- 
nected with  my  office  and  its  duties,  issues,  in  hope  at  least, 
sufficient  to  outbalance  all  earthly  considerations. 

June  \^th. — Little  worthy  of  record,  even  in  a  journal  for 
home,  can  be  anticipated  in  a  passage  to  Cuba ;  yet  an  incident 
has  already  occurred,  which  I  would  not  pass  over  without  notice. 

When  Mr.  B and  the  pilot  left  us  on  Saturday,  the  shades 

of  a  sombre  evening  were  settling  around  us,  and,  as  is  customary 
on  board  a  man-of-war  in  ordinary  cruising,  we  reefed  topsails  for 
the  night.  This  done,  as  the  lighthouse  fires  began  to  gleam 
over  the  dark  waters,  from  Cape  Henry  at  one  point  and  from 
Cape  Charles  at  another,  all  hands  were  called  to  our  first  evening 
prayer  on  the  quarter-deck.  The  deep  twilight  and  the  gloomy 
sky  made  the  service  the  more  impressive.  Few  on  board,  even 
among  the  officers,  knew  of  the  intention  of  Captain  Mcintosh 
with  the  sanction  of  Commoxiore  McKeever,  to  have  daily  evening 
worship.  One  or  two  of  those  who  did,  had  never  witnessed  such 
an  observance  on  board  ship,  and  doubted  its  expediency.  But 
the  impression  made  by  it  was  at  once  eff"ective  and  conclusive  on 
the  minds  of  those  even  who  had  most  doubted.  This  they 
readily  admitted  to  others  as  well  as  to  myself :  and  while  saying 
that  it  was  the  first  time  they  had  ever  been  present  at  such  a 
service  in  the  navy,  added  a  hope  that  it  would  never  be  discon- 
tinued on  board  the  Congress. 

I  was  cheered  by  this  frank  avowal  from  those  whose  judg-, 
ment  I  prized,  and  whose  high-toned  character  carries  with  it 
predominating  influence  among  their  associates.  Long  experience 
warrants  me  in  regarding  this  appointment  as  a  most  important 


4  BRAZIL    AND   LA    PLATA. 

auxiliary  in  the  work  of  a  cbaplaincy,  and  an  efficient  promoter 
of  discipline  and  good  order  on  board  a  man-of-war.  It  is 
honorable  to  the  principles  and  moral  perceptions  of  those  who 
framed  the  existing  laws  of  the  navy,  that  the  second  article  in 
the  code  enjoins  a  daily  service  of  worship  on  board  every  ship 
having  a  chaplain ;  and  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  an  injunction 
so  salutary,  in  the  moral  economy  of  a  crew,  and  in  its  general 
tendency,  should  in  so  few  instances  have  been  carried  into  effect. 
The  evening  worship  of  the  Cotter's  fireside — where, 

"  Ejieeling  down  to  Heaven's  Eternal  King, 
The  saint,  tlie  father,  and  the  husband  prays," 

presents  a  picture  which  might  well  call  forth  the  inspiration  of 
the  poet.  In  every  grade  of  life,  the  social  altar,  encircled  in  the 
sincerity  and  simplicity  of  the  Gospel,  is  in  like  manner  an  ele-« 
vating  and  a  touching  sight.  But  if  impressive  in  the  comparative 
security  of  the  shore,  far  from  the  fitful  changes  and  dangers  of 
the  sea,  how  much  more  so  when  exhibited  in  the  floating  dwell- 
ings of  those  whose  "  home  is  on  the  deep."  If  He,  who  alone 
"  commands  the  winds  and  the  waves,  and  they  obey  " — He,  who 
"  rides  upon  the  whirlwind  and  directs  the  storm,"  is  the  receiver 
of  our  thanksgiving  and  the  only  hearer  of  prayer,  who  sooner 
than  the  sailor  should  be  found  in  supplication,  or  who  be  more 
frequent,  or  more  fervent  than  he  in  praise  ? 

Whatever  may  be  the  ultimate  results  in  individual  cases  of 
such  a  service,  few  persons  have  for  a  first  time  witnessed  it, 
without  bearing  testimony  to  its  impressiveness  on  the  eye, 
whatever  may  have  been  the  influence  felt  upon  the  heart.  But, 
it  is  not  without  cause,  that  I  ever  look  for  something  more 
from  it.  The  man-of-wars-man  with  all  his  recklessness,  and, 
too  often,  degrading  vices,  has,  in  many  cases,  moral  sensibilities 
and  affections  which  bring  him,  where  the  means  of  grace  are 
enjoyed,  within  the  pale  of  hope ;  and  I  have  never  yet  been 
long  on  board  a  ship  where,  to  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  on 


FIRST    CASUALTY.  O 

the  Sabbath,  there  has  been  added  this  daily  evening  prayer, 
without  hearing  from  some  troubled  spirit  the  inquiry,  "  What 
shall  I  do  to  be  saved  ?  "  followed,  not  unfrequently,  by  the 
resolution  of  the  repenting  prodigal,  "  I  will  arise  and  go  to  my 
Father,  and  will  say  to  him.  Father,  I  have  sinned  against  Heaven 
and  in  thy  sight,  and  am  no  more  worthy  to  be  called  thy  son." 

The  excitement  incident  to  our  departure  and  the  tedium  of 
a  listless  day,  with  little  progress  till  we  were  at  sea,  disposed  all 
on  board  not  on  watch,  to  retire  early ;  and  for  the  most  part  such 
were  soundly  asleep,  myself  among  the  number,  when  suddenly 
aroused  at  midnight  by  the  cry,  "  A  man  overboard  !  "  There 
was  little  wind  and  not  much  sea;  but  the  darkness  was  Egyptian; 
the  rain  poured  in  torrents ;  and  while  the  booming  thunder  of  an 
approaching  gust  rolled  heavily  over  the  deep,  occasional  flashes 
of  vivid  lightning  added  double  intensity,  in  the  intervals,  to  the 
blackness  around.  The  rescue  of  the  perishing  man  seemed 
hopeless.  Supposing  him  of  course  to  be  one  of  the  crew — 
perhaps  the  most  active  and  gallant  of  their  number,  who  had 
lost  -his  foothold  in  some  effort  of  duty  in  preparation  for  the 
coming  squall — I  felt  disheartened  by  so  sad  a  casualty  at  the 
very  outset  of  our  cruise.  I  thought  of  our  evening  prayer,  and 
of  the  deep  feeling  with  which,  in  its  brief  worship,  we  had  sup- 
plicated the  defences  of  the  Almighty,  and  in  confiding  trust 
committed  ourselves  to  his  protecting  care.  Had  the  Lord  not 
had  respect  to  our  offering — had  the  Almighty  not  regarded  our 
prayer  ? 

In  the  midst  of  thoughts  such  as  these,  it  was  a  relief,  though 
a  melancholy  one  indeed,  to  learn  that  the  wretch  overboard  was 
not  any  of  the  fine  fellows  whose  physical  aspect  and  general 
bearing  had  already  won  from  me,  in  my  position,  a  deep  interest, 
but  a  poor  drunkard,  who  had  been  brought  on  board  in  a  state 
of  delirium  tremens,  from  the  receiving  ship,  the  day  we  left 
Norfolk ;  and  who  had  at  once  been  consigned,  in  care  of  the 
surgeons,  to  the  sick-bay.  In  a  paroxysm  of  madness,  he  had 
now  rushed  from  his  keepers  below  to  the  gun-deck ;  and,  knock- 


b  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

ing  down  with  a  billet  of  wood  caught  up  at  the  galley,  one  in 
pursuit,  had  plunged  headforemost  through  an  open  bridle-port, 
to  be  seen  and  heard  of  no  more. 

The  life-buoys  were  cut  away,  the  ship  put  about,  boats 
lowered  and  sent  off,  at  the  risk  of  life  both  to  officers  and  men, 
in  the  pitchy  darkness  and  rapidly  approaching  squall :  blue  lights 
were  burned,  and  repeated  shouts  through  a  trumpet  made,  in 
hope  of  some  response,  but  all  in  vain,  in  rescuing  him  from  his 
doom.  After  the  first  plunge,  nothing  was  seen  or  heard  from 
him.  A  miserable  madman  from  strong  drink,  the  accompani- 
ments of  his  end  on  earth — ^the  midnight  gloom,  the  angry  light- 
ning, the  muttering  thunder,  and  the  moaning  wind,  were  befitting 
the  fate  of  an  immortal  spirit  "  unanointed — unannealed,"  thus 
passing  into  the  eternal  world.  He  was  an  old  man-of-wars-man, 
and,  three  years  ago,  in  a  similar  condition  and  near  the  same 
place,  jumped  overboard  from  a  frigate  the  first  night  from  port, 
and  was  with  great  difficulty  saved.  How  faithful  the  admoni- 
tion, "  He  that  being  often  reproved  hardeneth  his  neck,  shall 
suddenly  be  destroyed,  and  that  without  remedy." 

Yesterday,  the  Sabbath,  was  a  bright  and  beautiful  day,  with 
favoring  winds  and  a  smooth  sea.  The  quarter-deck,  screened 
from  the  sun  by  awnings,  was  our  chapel ;  the  capstan,  spread 
with  the  stripes  and  stars  of  an  ensign,  our  reading  desk  and 
pulpit;  and  the  band,  with  sacred  music,  both  our  organ  and 
choir.  My  sermon,  suggested  by  the  incident  of  the  preceding 
night,  was  an  exposition  of  the  evils,  physical,  moral  and  spiri- 
tual, of  intemperance,  and  the  frightful  condition  of  such  as 
become  its  hopeless  victims.  The  fatal  proofs  of  the  truths  ad- 
vanced, in  the  bodily  and  mental  state  of  him  who  had  just  per- 
ished before  our  eyes  as  it  were,  caused  the  most  fixed  attention 
to  be  given  to  what  was  said,  both  by  the  officers  and  men. 

I  was  happy  to  be  told  by  the  captain,  immediately  after  the 
service,  that  it  had  been  officially  reported  to  him  the  day  before, 
that  more  than  three  hundred  of  the  crew,  or  two  thirds  of  the 
whole  number  of  foremast  hands,  did  not  draw  the  ration  of  rum 


i 


SCENE  IN  THE  GULF  STREAM.  7 

furnished  them  by  the  government :  this  of  their  own  voluntary 
choice,  no  persuasion  having  yet  been  used  on  board  to  influence 
any  one  on  the  subject.  An  encouraging  fact  certainly,  at  the 
offset,  in  this  essential  point  in  the  morals  of  the  sailor,  and  one 
that  ought  to  be  suggestive  to  our  national  legislators  of  the 
duty  of  striking  at  once  from  the  list  of  naval  allowances,  a 
poison  tending  to  the  destruction  of  both  body  and  soul.  The 
day  was  a  happy  one  to  me,  in  the  retirement  of  my  own  little 
room,  as  well  as  in  the  public  discharge  of  my  duties.  A  long 
and  kind  letter  from  an  officer,  in  answer  to  a  note  with  which  I 
had  returned  one  given  to  me  to  read,  was  so  encouraging  to  me 
ini  my  office,  and  so  full  of  promise  spiritually  for  himself,  as 
deeply  to  affect  me.  I  could  but  regard  it  as  a  token  of  grace 
from  Him  in  whose  hands  are  all  hearts,  and  as  an  intimation  of 
the  good  that  may  be  accomplished  on  board,  even  in  the  most 
influential  quarters. 

Our  worship,  at  sunset,  was  commenced,  after  an  air  of  sacred 
music  from  the  band,  by  the  reading  of  Addison's  beautiful 
hymn — 

"  How  are  thy  servants  blest,  0  Lord ! 
How  sure  is  their  defence  ! 
Eternal  Wisdom  is  their  guide, 
Their  help,  Omnipotence." 

To-day  we  are  crossing  the  gulf  stream  under  a  fresh  breeze 
amounting  almost  to  a  gale :  a  "  smoky  southwester"  with  a  short 
and  high  sea,  into  which  the  frigate  plunges  deeply,  taking  in 
large  quantities  of  water  forward.  This  rushing  aft,  as  the  ship 
rises,  makes  the  gun  as  well  as  the  spar-deck  wet  and  uncomfort- 
able. The  wardroom,  with  all  the  stern  and  air-ports  closed, 
is  dark  and  stifling  in  its  atmosphere,  and  every  thing  on  board 
partakes  largely  of  the  disagreeable  at  sea.  The  motion  is  so 
great  that  nothing  can  be  left  by  itself;  and,  at  breakfast,  each  of 
us  secured,  as  best  he  could,  the  very  indifferent  fare  that  came 
in  his  way .  bread  like  so  much  lead  j  biscuits  which,  bagged  and 


8  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

netted,  might  have  passed  inspection  as  grape-shot ;  rancid  butter ; 
addled  eggs ;  and  execrable  stuff  under  the  names  of  tea  and 
coffee  !  As  I  cast  my  eyes  over  the  mess-table  and  its  surround- 
ings, in  the  gloomy  twilight  falling  from  the  hatchway  above,  and 
upon  a  disconsolate-looking  and  silent  set  of  companions,  I  could 
not  avoid  contrasting  the  whole,  involuntarily,  with  a  breakfast  room 
in  my  mind,  on  shore,  in  the  fresh  beauty  of  a  morning  in  June — 
with  a  brightly  gleaming  lawn  in  front ;  the  mingled  bloom  of  the 
rose  and  the  honeysuckle  at  the  windows ;  the  cheerful  family 
group  ;  and  the  varied  fare  fresh  from  the  garden,  the  farm-house, 
and  the  dairy — and  sigh  at  the  difference  in  the  pictures.  Such 
a  day  as  this,  on  shipboard  in  the  gulf  stream,  with  its  discomfort 
in  almost  every  form,  would  be  enough  to  make  a  landsman  con- 
tent, for  the  rest  of  his  life,  with  the  blessings  of  the  shore. 

Apropos  of  our  steward.  We  have  been  sadly  imposed  on 
by  the  professed  qualifications  of  this  important  functionary. 
Claiming  to  be  perfect  in  all,  we  find  he  knows  nothing  of  any  of 
his  appropriate  duties.  The  day  we  left  Norfolk  he  gave  a  char- 
acteristic proof  of  his  fitness  for  the  office.     It  was  at  dinner, 

our  guest  Mr.  B being  of  the  number.     Among  the  courses 

was   a   salad   dressed  by  our  maitre  d'hote.      Mr.  B was 

first  served  with  it.  I  was  the  next  to  take  from  the  dish,  and 
in  doing  so,  happening  to  look  towards  the  visitor,  was  struck 
by  a  very  peculiar  expression  of  the  eye  and  countenance  as  he 
tasted  it — a  blending  of  surprise,  comical  inquiry,  and  effort  at 
self-command,  while  the  fork  was  very  quietly  returned  to  his 
plate,  as  if  he  were  done  with  it.  Suspecting  the  salad  to  be 
the  origin  of  all  this,  and  hastily  testing  the  point  by  a  mouthful, 
I  found  to  my  utter  disgust,  that,  in  obedience  to  the  direction  of 
the  caterer  to  use  plenty  of  oil  in  the  dressing,  he  had,  in  ignor- 
ance of  any  other,  dashed  the  whole  most  copiously  with  the 
vilest  lamp  oil !  The  effect  upon  the  palate  can  be  more  readily 
imagined  than  described. 

June  12th. — A  breeze  from  the  north-east,  which  set  in  last 
night,  promises  to  prove  a  regular  trade-wind,  and  we  are  running 


MY   SHIP    AND    SHIPMATES.  y 

rapidly  before  it  on  our  course.  You  may  easily  follow  our  track, 
by  marking,  on  a  map,  a  pretty  straight  line  from  the  mouth  of 
the  Chesapeake  to  the  channel  of  the  sea,  between  the  Islands  of  St. 
Domingo  and  Porto  Kico.  It  is  our  intention  to  pass  between 
these,  by  what  is  named  on  the  charts  of  the  West  Indies,  the 
Mona  Passage,  and  then  lay  a  course  by  the  south  side  of  Cuba 
to  Havana.  Should  it  be  asked  why  we  go,  seemingly,  so  much 
out  of  our  way  and  so  far  round ;  I  answer,  that  for  a  large  ship, 
it  is  not  only  the  safest,  but,  in  point  of  time,  the  shortest  route. 
The  strong  and  adverse  current  of  the  gulf  stream,  and  the  in- 
tricate and  hazardous  navigation  of  the  Florida  channel,  are  the 
objections  to  the  direct  course  along  the  coast.  The  weather  is 
now  fine — in  strong  contrast  with  that  last  described ;  and,  at 
night,  we  have  a  splendid  moon,  enticing  to  constant  visits  in 
thought  and  affection  to  Riverside.  Beautiful  as  moonlight  is  at 
sea,  I  must  confess  to  a  preference,  in  the  enjoyment  of  it  in  the 
month  of  June,  for  the  south-west  corner  of  a  verandah  on  the 
banks  of  the  Hudson. 

I  have,  thus  far,  been  giving  my  time  chiefly  to  visits  through 
my  floating  parish — from  the  quarters  of  the  Commodore  to  those 
of  "  Jemmy  Ducks,"  and  "  Jack  of  the  dust,"  as  the  feeder  of  the 
pigs  and  poultry,  and  the  sweeper  of  the  Purser's  store-rooms,  in 
shipboard  nomenclature,  are  respectively  styled.  Almost  every 
day,  since  coming  on  board,  I  have  discovered  here  and  there  a 
shipmate  of  some  former  cruise ;  and  perceive  hourly  evidence  of 
having  through  these — in  part  at  least — already  gained  the  marked 
good  will  of  the  crew.  I  am  quite  at  home  in  all  my  walks 
among  them ;  and  have  every  reason  to  be  more  than  satisfied — 
to  be  truly  thankful — in  my  official  relation  with  them. 

The  Congress,  a  fifty-gun  ship,  is  one  of  the  finest  vessels 
of  her  class.  She  is  a  model  of  strength  and  symmetry  in 
hull  and  spars,  and  of  imposing  and  effective  equipment  in  her 
batteries  and  armament :  never  failing  to  attract  the  notice  of 
all  who  have  an  eye  to  appreciate  a  chef  d'oeuvre  in  naval  archi- 
1* 


10  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

tecture.  She  is,  too,  a  swift  messenger  over  the  waters,  as  well 
as  a  tower  of  strength  and  beauty  on  the  sea. 

The  intellectual  and  moral  tastes  of  many  of  my  immediate 
associates  and  equals  in  naval  rank,  are  such  as  not  only  to 
make  them  agreeable  companions,  but  also  to  give  to  our  mess 
in  general,  by  their  example  and  influence,  a  high-toned  and 
elevated  character ;  and  I  regard  it  a  providence  of  special  kind- 
ness that,  in  those  chief  in  authority  and  executive  power,  I  find 
cordial  friends  personally,  and  firm  supporters  in  my  duty  ofii- 
cially.  Their  views,  too,  and  their  purposes,  in  regard  .to  disci- 
pline and  naval  reform,  harmonize  with  my  own,  in  the  persua- 
sion that  kindness  is  the  surest  key  to  the  human  heart;  and  that,  in 
government,  the  law  of  love  is  more  efi"ectual  than  the  rule  of  fear. 
I  felt  this  particularly,  in  a  long  conversation  with  the  commodore 
this  morning,  during  a  walk  on  the  quarter-deck,  and  at  breakfast 
with  him  afterwards.  On  this  point  I  like  his  views  much ;  and 
augur  great  good  from  them,  in  the  support  they  will  lead  him  to 
extend,  ofiicially,  to  the  executive  officer  of  the  ship,  in  carrying 
out  a  system  of  internal  rule  based  upon  the  principle  of  kindness 
and  good  will,  of  the  practical  well-working  of  which  he  k 
entirely  persuaded. 

The  crew,  physcically,  are  a  fine  set  of  men  :  healthful, 
athletic  and  young,  the  average  age  of  the  four  hundred  fore- 
mast hands  scarcely  exceeding  twenty-five  years.  This  general 
youthfulness  of  the  ship's  company  encourages  me  to  hope  much 
from  them  as  subjects  of  moral  culture.  They  are  more  likely, 
than  seamen  of  a  more  advanced  age,  to  have  had  the  benefit  of 
a  religious  training  in  the  Sabbath  schools  now  so  universally  es- 
tablished in  most  sections  of  our  country;  and,  thus,  be  more 
susceptible  to  moral  impressions  and  persuasion,  should  they  not 
have  already  felt  the  influence  of  the  general  improvement  in  the 
character  of  sailors  which,  confessedly,  has  taken  place  within 
the  last  ten  or  fifteen  years.  Still,  at  best,  a  man-of-war  is  a 
sterile  and  rocky  field  for  spiritual  labor.  There  is  ever  on  board 
a  large  ship  of  the  kind,  a  greater  or  less  number  of  reckless 


i 


CHARACTER   OF   THE    CREW.  11 

and  desperately  wicked  men  :  some  who  have  been  convicts  and 
the  inmates  of  state  prisons  and  penitentiaries,  and  more  who, 
long  under  the  surveillance  of  the  police,  and  pressed  by  close  pur- 
suit, have  sought  refuge  at  the  rendezvous  and  receiving  ship,  from 
the  merited  penalties  of  the  law.  Of  these  last  we  are  certain 
of  having  quite  a  company,  composed  pretty  equally  of  *  South- 
wark  killers,'  '  Schuylkill  rangers,'  ^  Baltimore  rowdies,'  '  Bowery 
boys,'  and  'Five  Pointers.'  The  whole  number  of  both  these 
classes,  however,  does  not  amount  to  more  than  fifty;  the  hun- 
dreds of  others  on  board  are  either  honest-hearted  and  true  sailors, 
or  inexperienced  and  raw  landsmen :  '  good  men,'  according  to  the 
ethics  of  the  sea.  The  *'  baser  sort,"  though  comparatively  so 
few  in  number,  are  ever  first  in  gaining  prominence  and  notoriety 
on  board,  by  bringing  themselves,  through  a  manifestation  of  their 
evil  propensities,  in  contact  with  the  discipline  of  the  ship,  while 
the  true  sailor  and  old  man-of-wars-man,  in  the  quiet  discharge  of 
their  duty  remain  for  a  time  unappreciated,  and  perhaps  person- 
ally unknown. 

To  an  inexperienced  eye,  a  man-of-war  with  her  crew  of  five 
hundred,  seems  only  like  a  bee-hive  full  of  confusion  and  uproar, 
while,  in  truth,  there  is  throughout  in  every  department  perfect 
organization  and  order.  Every  individual  has  his  class,  his 
number,  and  his  station;  the  duty  of  each  in  his  place  is  clearly 
defined ;  and  whatever  is  to  be  done  is  accomplished  with  much 
of  the  regularity  of  a  machine  operating  through  the  same 
number  of  wheels.  To  the  same  eye  there  would  appear  no 
signs  of  caste  or  grades  of  distinction,  moral  or  social,  in  the 
general  mass  :  there  would  be  only  so  many  hundred  sailors, 
seemingly  alike  in  all  respects.  Little  would  be  dreamed  of  the 
extremes,  not  only  of  moral  character,  existing  among  them,  but 
of  social  distinction  also — from  the  exclusives  of  the  "  upper  ten," 
priding  themselves  on  moving  only  in  the  first  circles,  through 
three  or  four  marked  sets  to  the  canaille,  utterly  below  recognition 
or  social  intercourse.  There  is  a  marked  diff'erence,  too,  among 
many,  in  the  outer  man.     Though  the  dress  of  all  is  uniform  in 


12  *  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

color  and  general  material,  still  there  is  often  the  widest  differ- 
ence in  the  quality,  fitting,  and  make  of  the  entire  wardrobe  ;  and, 
while  one  is  so  careless  and  slovenly  in  his  attire,  as  to  require  the 
daily  inspection  of  an  officer,  others  are  perfect  sea-dandies,  as  fas- 
tidiously neat  and  clean  in  person,  as  the  whole  series  of  brushes 
known  to  the  toilette-table  can  make  them ;  and  as  fond  of  being 
assured  of  this,  by  repeated  inspections  and  last  glances  in  the 
miniature  mirrors  carried  in  their  hats,  or  about  their  persons,  as  a 
beau  of  the  first  water  on  shore,  before  a  Psyche  in  preparation 
for  the  ball  or  opera. 

After  the  public  worship  of  the  last  Sabbath,  Mr.  T ,  the 

first  lieutenant,  who  has  had  long  experience  in  Sabbath  schools, 
both  as  a  teacher  and  superintendent,  aided  me  in  the  formation 
of  one  among  the  twenty-four  boys  on  board,  from  ten  to  fifteen 
years  of  age  :  each  of  us  taking  charge  of  a  class  of  twelve. 
The  value  of  a  voluntary  agency  of  this  kind,  from  an  officer  of 
commanding  influence,  can  scarcely  be  over-estimated.  My  next 
attempt,  as  a  means  of  good,  will  be  the  establishment  of  Bible 
classes  among  the  men.  If  successful  in  this,  I  am  happy  to 
know  that  others  of  the  officers  stand  ready  to  assist  me  in  the 
like  manner. 

It  is  an  interesting  fact,  and  one  strikingly  illustrative  of  the 
improved  and  elevated  tone  of  morals  in  the  navy,  that  of  the 
fourteen  gentlemen  constituting  the  wardroom  mess,  five  are  pro- 
fessedly religious  men  of  consistent  and  exemplary  character. 


CHAPTER    II. 

At  Sea. 

June  V^ili. — Two  days  ago,  at  noon,  land  was  descried  from 
the  mast-head.  We  were  approaching  the  Bahama  Islands,  not 
in  the  direction  of  the  Mona  Passage,  but  in  that  of  the  Caycos, 
more  to  the  west,  the  wind  having  headed  us  off  from  our  first 
course.  During  the  previous  night,  we  had  passed  over  a  point 
on  the  ocean,  memorable  in  its  historic  interest,  where,  on  the 
very  eve  of  joyful  triumph,  the  illustrious  discoverer  of  the 
western  world  suffered  the  severest  trial  of  his  daring  voyage.  It 
was  here  that  the  discouragement  and  fears  of  his  followers  in 
their  frail  barks,  approached  desperation  and  open  mutiny ;  and 
confident  hope  had  well  nigh  ended  in  disappointment,  and  tri- 
umphant success  in  failure.  It  was  impossible  to  traverse  the 
same  waters,  without  recalling  vividly  to  mind  the  scene  of  trial 
and  conflict  which  they  had  witnessed  more  than  three  hundred 
and  fifty  years  before,  and  sympathizing  afresh  with  the  great 
navigator  in  his  distress ;  or  to  hear  the  cry,  "  land  ho  !  "  with- 
out recurring  in  thought  to  the  devout  exultations  of  his  heart, 
when,  in  the  watches  of  the  night,  the  interrupted  glimmerings  of 
a  distant  light  peered  upon  eyes  eagerly  searching  its  gloom,  dis- 
pelling for  ever  the  fears  of  his  companions,  and  crowning  his 
adventurous  enterprise  with  imperishable  honor. 

The  land  descried  aloft,  soon  became  visible  from  the  deck. 
It  was  the  great   Caycos,  the  most  eastern  of  the   Bahamas,  a 


14  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

low,  flat  island  of  sand,  surrounded  by  extensive  shoals.  There 
was  little  to  interest  in  its  appearance ;  a  mere  tufting  of  bushes 
on  the  water,  along  the  line  of  the  horizon,  of  which  we  soon 
lost  sight.  The  next  morning,  and  for  the  rest  of  the  day,  the 
west  end  of  St.  Domingo  was  in  view,  furnishing  in  its  turn 
abundant  subjects  for  musing  in  the  tragic  scenes  of  the  revolt 
of  1791.  Before  nightfall  the  eastern  extremity  of  Cuba  was  also 
in  sight.  Both  are  lofty  and  mountainous,  but  less  picturesque 
in  general  outline  than  the  islands  of  the  South  Seas.  The  sail 
of  the  afternoon  and  evening  was  delightful, — the  perfection  of 
its  kind.  The  trade-wind  was  fresh  and  balmy,  and  so  steady, 
that  the  lofty  mass  of  canvas  we  spread  to  it  was  as  motionless 
as  if  it  were  a  fixture  on  the  sea ;  while  the  ocean,  of  the  most 
beautiful  tint  of  marine  blue,  was  every  where  gemmed  with 
white- caps  of  the  brilliancy  of   so  much  snow. 

June  20^^. — Hitherto  the  duty  of  the  ship  has  been  carried  on 
admirably  under  a  kind  and  humane  discipline.  The  lash,  formerly 
in  such  constant  requisition  on  board  a  man-of-war,  in  bringing  a 
new  crew  under  ready  control,  has  neither  been  heard  nor  seen. 
A  fight,  however,  which  came  off  a  day  or  two  since,  between 
two  of  the  marines,  led  to  a  kind  of  drumhead  court-martial, 
yesterday,  and  to  the  punishment  of  the  parties  this  morning, 
with  the  cat-o'-nine-tails.  It  is  the  first  instance  with  us  of  such 
a  revolting  spectacle,  and  I  most  devoutly  hope  it  may  be  the 
last.  I  am  sure  it  will,  unless  there  be  those  on  board  so  incor- 
rigible and  so  determined  to  subject  themselves  to  it,  that  no 
other  mode  of  discipline  will  meet  their  case.  Before  we  left 
port,  Captain  Mcintosh,  in  an  excellent  address,  after  the  first 
reading  in  public  of  the  "  articles  of  war,"  assured  the  crew  with 
deep  feeling,  that  nothing  could  give  him  greater  pleasure  than  to 
return  to  the  United  States  and  have  it  in  his  power  to  report  to 
the  Navy  Department  that  a  lash  had  never  been  given  on  board 
the  Congress  during  the  cruise.  He  reiterated  the  same  sentiment 
this  morning  to  the  ship's  company,  mustered  to  witness  the  pun- 
ishment, with  the  fresh  avowal  of  his  utter  unwillingness  to  resort 


CASE   OF    PUNISHMENT.  .    15 

to  SO  degrading  a  mode  of  chastisement :  adding  "  that  the  exist- 
ing law,  however,  made  the  duty  imperative  upon  him  as  an  ul- 
timate means  of  enforcing  his  command,  and  protecting  his  ship 
from  insubordination  and  misrule ;  and  that  it  should  be  remem- 
bered by  all,  whenever  the  necessity  was  forced  on  him  of  admin- 
istering this  punishment,  that  it  would  only  be  through  the  deli- 
berate purpose  and  choice  of  any  one  subjecting  himself  to  it." 

The  cat-o'-nine-tails,  as  a  mode  of  punishment,  is  a  relic  of 
barbarism  disgraceful  to  the  age  in  which  we  live,  and  antagonis- 
tic to  its  entire  spirit.  The  wonder  is,  not  that  men-of-wars  men 
are  scarce,  and  recruits  for  the  navy  few,  but  that,  with  such  a 
barbarous  punishment  legalized,  an  American  sailor  can  be  found 
willing  to  place  himself  in  a  position  in  which  he  can,  by  any  con- 
tingency, be  exposed  to  the  disgrace  of  its  infliction. 

In  place  of  attempting  a  description  of  the  spectacle,  as  just 
witnessed  by  us,  I  will  substitute  one,  which  happens  to  be  before 
me,  of  a  similar  scene,  from  the  pen  of  an  officer  in  the  British 
Navy.  It  is  more  graphic  than  any  I  could  furnish,  and  as  truth- 
ful to  the  reality,  in  its  leading  features,  as  can  well  be  pictured. 
It  is  drawn  from  his  early  experience  as  a  midshipman.  "  I  had 
not  been  many  days  on  board,"  he  says,  "  before  I  heard  a  hollow 
sound  reverberating  round  the  frigate's  decks,  and  which  seemed 
to  bring  a  shade  of  gloom  over  the  faces  of  all  around  me. 
Again  the  words  were  repeated,  "  All  hands,  Ahoy!  "  I  eagerly 
inquired  the  meaning  of  this  mystery,  and  was  answered  by  a  lad 
about  sixteen  years  of  age,  '  It  is  all  hands  to  punishment,  my 
boy ;  you  are  going  to  see  a  man  flogged.' 

"  The  idea  of  a  man  being  flogged  at  all,  under  any  possible 
circumstances,  had  never  before  entered  my  brain.  I  had  as  yet 
no  notions  that  such  a  degree  of  barbarity  could  exist ;  I  had 
indeed  known  that  boys  were  flogged,  but  how  they  could  horse  a 
man  was  to  me  a  mystery.  My  reflections  were  broken  in  upon 
by  observing  all  my  messmates  busily  engaged  in  putting  on  their 
cocked-hats  and  side-arms.  And  as  this  was  the  first  time  I  had 
sported  my  new  dirk,  I  felt  very  strange  and  mingled  sensations, 


16    .  BRAZIL   AND   LA  PLATA. 

as  I  stepped  forth  on  the  quarter-deck.  The  marines  were  drawn 
Tip  on  the  larboard  side  of  the  deck,  with  their  bayonets  fixed, 
and  their  officers  with  their  swords  drawn,  and  resting  against 
their  shoulders.  On  the  main  deck  the  seamen  had  all  assembled 
in  a  dense  crowd  around  the  hatchway,  and  the  said  hatchway 
was  ornamented  with  several  gratings  fixed  up  on  one  end,  evi- 
dently for  some  purpose  which  I  had  never  yet  seen  accomplished. 
The  officers  in  their  full  uniforms,  with  swords,  and  cocked  hats, 
were  pacing  the  decks  :  but  all  was  still  and  solemn  silence.  At 
length  the  captain  came  forth  from  his  cabin,  the  marines  carry- 
ing arms  at  his  first  appearance  on  the  quarter-deck.  The  first 
lieutenant,  taking  off  his  hat,  approached  him,  and  reported  that 
*  all  was  ready.' 

"  As  the  captain  came  up  to  the  gangway,  he  removed  his 
hat;  which  was  followed  by  all  the  men  and  officers  becoming 
uncovered.  Then,  taking  a  printed  copy  of  the  articles  of  war, 
he  read  aloud  a  few  lines,  which  denounced  the  judgment  of  a 
court-martial  on  any  person  who  should  be  guilty  of  some  par- 
ticular ofi"ence,  the  nature  of  which  I  did  not  understand.  This 
done,  he  ordered  Edward  Williams  to  strip ;  adding,  '  You  have 
been  guilty  of  neglect  of  duty,  sir,  in  not  laying  in  off  the  fore- 
topsail  yard  when  the  first  lieutenant  ordered  you ;  and  I  will  give 

you  a  d d  good  flogging.'     By  this  time  the  poor  fellow  had 

taken  off  his  jacket  and  shirt,  which  was  thrown  over  his 
shoulders  by  the  master-at-arms,  while  two  quartermasters  lashed 
the  poor  fellow's  elbows  to  the  gratings,  so  that  he  could  not  stir 
beyond  an  inch  or  two  either  way.  It  was  in  vain  that  he  begged 
and  besought  the  captain  and  first  lieutenant  to  forgive  him; 
protesting  that  he  did  not  hear  himself  called,  in  consequence  of 
having  a  bad  cold,  which  rendered  him  almost  deaf.  His  en- 
treaties were  unheeded ;  and  at  the  words,  '  Boatswain's  mate, 
give  him  a  dozen,'  a  tall,  strong  fellow  came  forward  with  a  cat- 
o'-nine-tails,  and,  having  taken  off  his  own  jacket,  and  carefully 
measured  his  distance,  so  as  to  be  able  to  strike  with  the  full 
swing  of  his  arm,  he  flung  the  tails  of  the  cat  around  his  head. 


THE    CAT-O'-NINE    TAILS.  l7 

and  with  all  the  energy  of  his  body  brought  them  down  upon  the 
fair,  white,  plump  back  of  poor  Williams.  A  sudden  jerk  of  the  poor 
fellow  almost  tore  away  the  gratings  from  their  position ;  he  gave 
a  scream  of  agony,  and  again  begged  the  captain,  for  the  sake  of 
Jesus  Christ,  to  let  him  off.  I  was  horror-struck  on  seeing  nine 
large  welts,  as  big  as  my  fingers,  raised  on  his  back,  spreading 
from  his  shoulder-blades  nearly  to  his  loins;  but  my  feelings 
were  doomed  to  be  still  more  harrowed.  For  as  soon  as  the  tall 
boatswain's  mate  had  completed  the  task  of  running  his  fingers 
through  the  cords  to  clear  them  and  prevent  the  chance  of  a 
single  lash  being  spared  the  wretched  sufferer,  he  again  flung 
them  around  his  head  to  repeat  the  blow.  Another  slashing 
sound  upon  the  naked  flesh,  another  shriek  and  struggle  to  get 
free  succeeded, — and  then  another  and  another,  till  the  comple- 
ment of  twelve  agonizing  lashes  was  completed.  The  back  was, 
by  this  time,  nearly  covered  with  deep  red  gashes;  the  skin 
roughed  up  and  curled  in  many  parts,  as  it  does  when  a  violent 
blow  causes  an  extensive  abrasion.  The  poor  man  looked  up 
with  an  imploring  eye  toward  the  first  lieutenant,  and  groaned 
out,  '  Indeed,  sir,  as  I  hope  to  be  saved,  I  did  not  hear  you  call 
me.'  The  only  reply  was  on  the  part  of  the  captain,  who  gave 
the  word,  '  another  boatswain's  mate  ! '  '  Oh,  Grod,  sir,  have 
mercy  on  me  !  '  was  again  the  cry  of  the  poor  man :  '  Boat- 
swain's mate,  go  on ;  and  mind  that  you  do  your  duty ! '  the 
only  answer. 

"  The  effect  of  one  hundred  and  eight  cuts  upon  his  bare 
back  had  rendered  it  a  fearful  sight,  but  when  these  had  been 
repeated  with  all  the  vigor  of  a  fresh  and  untired  arm,  the  poor 
fellow  exhibited  a  sad  spectacle  indeed.  The  dark  red  of  the 
wounds  had  assumed  a  livid  purple,  the  flesh  stood  up  in  mangled 
ridges,  and  the  blood  trickled  here  and  there  like  the  breaking 
out  of  an  old  wound.  The  pipes  of  the  boatswain  and  his  mates 
now  sounded,  and  they  called  '  all  hands  up  anchor  ! '  The  grat- 
ings were  quickly  removed,  and  of  all  the  human  beings  who  had 
witnessed  the  cruel  torture  on  the  body  of  poor  Edward  Wil- 


18  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

liams,  not  one  seemed  in  the  slightest  degree  affected.  All  was 
bustle  and  activity  and  apparent  merriment  as  tliey  went  to  work 
in  obedience  to  the  call." 

In  this  account  there  is  no  exaggeration  :  no  exaggeration  of 
the  usual  manner  of  inflicting  such  punishment ;  no  exaggeration 
of  the  trivialty  of  the  alleged  offence ;  no  exaggeration  of  the 
earnest  asseveration  of  innocence ;  no  exaggeration  of  the  hard- 
ening effect  of  the  scene  upon  the  spectators.  I  have  known  men 
to  be  thus  flogged  for  acts  or  omissions  equally  if  not  more  trivial 
— not  only  singly,  but,  in  one  instance  at  least,  a  dozen  at  a  time, 
and  that,  too,  where  it  was  known  that  one  only  of  the  number 
was  really  in  fault.  Because  some  one  of  a  quarter  watch  in 
the  top  did  a  careless  and  lubberly  thing,  in  the  estimation  of 
an  officer,  though  doubtless,  from  the  circumstances  of  the  case, 
accidentally,  and  none  of  his  topmates  would  give  up  his  name, 
the  whole  watch  were  ordered  on  deck,  and,  in  succession,  re- 
ceived a  dozen  lashes  each. 

The  entire  experience  of  the  writer  of  the  above  account,  as 
to  this  punishment,  corroborates  fully  the  opinion  I  have  formed 
from  my  own  observation  as  to  its  effects — that  in  all  its  bearings 
it  has  a  tendency  to  demoralize  and  harden  rather  than  to 
reform.  He  proceeds  to  state  that  the  captain  under  whose  com- 
mand the  case  of  flogging  described  occurred,  changed  ships  not 
long  afterwards  with  one  who  abominated  the  system  of  corporal 
punishment;  and  adds,  "For  four  years  I  served  under  his 
orders,  and  witnessed  no  more  of  the  inhuman  practice.  The 
men  were  allowed  to  go  on  shore  frequently  sixty  and  seventy  at 
a  time,  and  in  all  respects  were  treated  so  kindly  that  but  one 
case  of  desertion  occurred  during  all  that  period.  The  captain 
made  it  a  point  to  visit  the  whole  crew  when  at  dinner,  to 
see,  himself,  that  they  had  every  thing  they  required  to  make 
them  comfortable.  This  he  did  every  day ;  and  the  sick  were 
always  fed  from  his  own  table.  The  result  of  this  was  that  our 
ship  was  the  smartest  frigate  on  the  station,  and  fought  one  of 
the  most  glorious  actions  which  ever  graced  the  annals  of  the 
British  Navy." 


MORAL  EFFECTS  OF  THE  LASH.  19 

His  experience  in  the  matter  did  not  end  here.  He  thus  pro- 
ceeds :  *'  I  joined  another  ship,  the  captain  of  which  was  wont  to 
say,  '  I  never  forgive  a  first  offence — for  if  there  was  no  first  offence 
there  could  be  no  second.'  Profane  swearing  and  drunkenness, 
he  never  by  any  accident  forgave.  The  result  was  a  flogging 
match  every  Monday  morning,  and  very  frequently  once  or  twice 
in  the  week  besides.  The  crew  grew  worse  and  worse  from  this 
treatment,  till,  at  length,  there  was  scarcely  a  sober  seaman  or 
marine  on  board  the  ship,  though  her  complement  was  about  six 
hundred  men  and  boys.  The  more  drunken  they  became  the 
more  he  flogged  them ;  but  the  crime  and  punishment  seemed  to 
react  on  each  other,  and  the  ship  became  at  last  so  very  notorious 
for  the  cat  that  he  was  jested  upon  it  by  his  fellow  captains,  and 
the  men  deserted  at  every  opportunity." 

I  believe  thQ  experience,  thus  presented,  of  these  two  ships,  to 
be  a  fair  exposition  of  the  general  and  direct  tendency  of  the 
two  systems.  Kevolting  as  punishment  with  the  '  colt '  and  '  cat ' 
ever  has  been  to  me,  and  often  as  my  blood  has  been  made  to 
boil  in  witnessing  it,  a  want  of  practical  knowledge  in  the  case  led 
me,  for  a  time,  reluctantly  to  acquiesce  in  the  opinion  universally 
held,  so  far  as  I  could  discover,  by  those  most  experienced  in 
naval 'rule,  that  it  was  indispensable  as  a  means  of  discipline  on 
board  a  man-of-war.  But  the  teachings  of  my  nature,  that  this 
is  an  error,  have  been  corroborated  by  long  observation;  and 
had  no  previous  conviction  of  this  been  fastened  on  my  mind,  the 
success  of  the  executive  ofiicer  of  the  Congress  in  devising  and 
substituting  more  humanizing  modes  of  punishment  for  trans- 
gressions of  law  aiid  delinquencies  in  duty,  would  have  gone  far 
in  persuading  me  to  it.  I  doubt  not  that  should  the  law  of  the 
lash  be  abrogated  by  our  national  legislature  to-morrow,*  and  the 
change  be  met  by  the  enactment  of  a  wise  and  philanthropic  code 
of  naval  rule,  the  discipline  and  efficiency  of  the  service  would 
be  more  perfect  than  ever  before. 

*  Flogging  was  abolished,  both  in  the  navy  and  mercantile  marine,  a  few 
months  after  the  above  was  written. 


20  BKAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

June  24dh. — 

"  The  twilight  is  sad  and  cloudy, 
The  wind  blows  wild  and  free, 
And  like  the  wings  of  sea-birds 
Flash  the  white  caps  of  the  sea." 

So  sings  Longfellow,  and  such  is  the  imagery  around  us  from 
the  passing  of  a  heavy  squall.  The  rushing  wind  and  the 
dampness  brought  with  it,  from  the  approaching  rain,  are  wel- 
come and  most  refreshing,  after  two  or  three  days  and  nights  on 
the  south  side  of  Cuba,  sultry  almost  to  suffocation.  Whether 
correct  in  our  recollections  or  not,  all  hands  agree  that,  in  no  part 
of  the  world  in  which  we  have  been,  either  on  land  or  at  sea, 
have  we  before  suffered  so  much  from  the  intensity  of  the  heat. 
Notwithstanding,  I  was  never  in  the  enjoyment  of  more  vigorous 
health  or  in  more  elastic  spirits. 

In  the  afternoon  of  my  last  date,  we  had  a  distant  view  of  a 
part  of  the  island  of  Jamaica,  as  well  as  of  San  Domingo  and 
Cuba :  a  sail,  too,  was  in  sight,  and  the  smoke  of  a  steamer 
marked  on  the  horizon — all  taking  much  from  the  solitariness  of 
our  position.  The  next  morning  we  were  slowly  advancing  west- 
ward, along  the  lofty,  but  mist  covered  and  cloud  obscured 
mountain  range  of  the  Sierra  de  Cobra,  beneath  a  point  in  which 
lie  the  port  and  city  of  St.  Jago  de  Cuba.  At  sunset  the  same 
evening  we  were  directly  abreast  Cape  de  Cruz,  in  full  view  of  the 
coast,  but  at  too  great  a  distance  to  make  out  the  distinctive 
features  of  the  landscape,  even  with  the  best  glasses.  We  are 
now  off  the  Isle  of  Pines,  famed  in  the  annals  of  the  Buccaneers 
of  the  olden  time,  and  a  haunt  of  pirates  in  our  own  day. 

Light  and  baffling  winds,  with  alternate  calms,  have  made  our 
progress  slow.  The  tedium  of  the  time  has  been  relieved  in  part 
by  a  first  interchange  of  dinner  parties  between  the  wardroom 
mess  and  the  commodore  and  captain.  The  kindest  feeling  exists 
among  the  officers  of  all  grades  on  board,  and  these  reunions, 
where  the  formality  of  official  intercourse  gives  place  for  the  time 


EVENING  SCENES  ON  BOARD.  21 

to  the  free  interchange  of  thought  and  feeling,  and  of  sympathy 
in  intellect  and  taste,  are  salutary  in  their  influences  on  both 
mind  and  heart.  The  Sabbath  is  the  day  usually  chosen  on  board 
a  man-of-war  for  these  courtesies ;  but  it  has  been  unanimously 
decided,  by  our  mess,  that  the  entertainments  given  in  the  ward- 
room shall  be  on  a  week  day. 

During  the  continuance  of  moonlight  in  the  evening  and 
early  part  of  the  night,  the  enjoyment  of  it  on  deck  in  quiet 
musings,  after  the  heat  of  the  day,  seemed  the  prevailing  mood  of 
the  ship's  company.  The  band  in  whole  or  in  part,  at  times, 
added  music  to  the  sympathies  which  were  sending  our  thoughts 
and  affections  homeward  by  the  way  of  the  moon.  But  now  that 
she  is  on  the  wane,  and  reserves  her  beams  for  the  later  watches 
of  the  night,  the  sailors  cheer  themselves  in  the  darkness,  by 
singing  on  the  spar-deck,  grouped  in  their  respective  limits  from 
the  fife-rail  to  the  forecastle.  Last  evening,  even  the  quarter- 
deck was  invaded,  under  the  sanction  of  an  officer,  by  a  party 
of  negro  minstrels :  not  such  mock  performers  as  are  heard  on 
shore  under  the  name,  but  of  the  genuine  type,  consisting  of  the 
servants  of  the  wardroom.  For  half  an  hour  or  more  they  sang, 
in  practised  harmony  and  with  effect,  many  of  the  more  sentimen- 
tal and  popular  of  the  negro  melodies ;  while  forward  and  in  the 
gangways  there  was  echoed  forth,  in  varied  song,  the  feats  of 
warrior  knights  and  the  love  of  ladies  fair.  Others  of  the  crew 
were,  at  the  same  time,  listening  in  groups  between  the  guns  along 
the  entire  deck,  to  a  rehearsal  by  their  shipmates  of  tragic  stories 
of  shipwreck,  piracy  and  murder ;  to  recitations  from  tragedies 
and  comedies ;  to  close  arguments  on  various  topics — naviga- 
tion and  seamanship,  politics,  morals  and  religion — and,  at  one 
point,  to  a  lecture  on  history,  of  which  I  overheard  enough  to 
learn  the  subject  to  be  the  life  and  achievements  of  the  brave 
Wallace,  dilated  upon  in  the  broad  dialect  of  the  "  land  o' 
cakes  !  " 

Light-heartedness  and  contentment  seem  every  where  to  pre- 


22  BRAZIL  ^ND   LA   PLATA. 

vail,  and  all  manifest  by  their  conduct,  as  well  as  by  word,  that 
they  feel  themselves  to  be  on  board  a  favored  ship. 

Had  I  time  for  the  record,  you  would  be  amused  by  many 
things  I  hourly  hear  and  see,  in  my  walks  of  leisure.  To-day, 
while  on  the  quarter-deck  after  the  men's  dinner,  I  overheard  one 
of  the  messenger  boys,  who  had  just  come  from  this  meal,  say  to 
a  companion,  "  I  tell  you  what,  Jim,  I  couldn't  eat  much  of  that 
dinner :  old  mahogany  and  hard  tack,  is  what  I  call  pretty  tough 
eating.  To-morrow  too  is  bean:  day,  and  I  wouldn't  give  a  penny 
for  a  bushel  of  them."  A  sprightly  young  sailor  who  completed 
an  apprenticeship  in  the  service,  happening  to  pass  at  the  time, 
stopped  for  a  moment,  and  with  an  assumed  air  of  indignant  re- 
proof, exclaimed,  "  Why,  you  ungrateful  young  cub  ! — you  growl- 
ing at  Uncle  Sam's  grub  ?  why  you  ought  to  be  down  upon  your 
knees  thanking  God  that  you  have  so  good  an  uncle  to  give  you 
any  thing !  " 

Just  afterwards,  I  fell  into  conversation  with  an  old  salt  who 
had  been  with  me,  in  the  Delaware  line-of-battle  ship,  in  1833. 
After  mutual  inquiries  of  various  officers  and  men  who  were 
shipmates  with  us  then ;  what  had  become  of  this  one  and 
what  of  that — he   said,  in  all  honesty  of  heart,  and  with  a  most 

lugubrious  expression  of  face,  "  And  there  was  Lieut.   M 

too  :  they  tell  me,  sir,  he  stepped  out  entirely^  the  other  day  at 
the  Hospital !  " — meaning  that  he  had  died  there.  I  never 
heard  the  expression  in  such  a  connection  before,  and  could  not 
avoid  being  struck,  not  only  with  its  oddity,  but  also  with  its  force. 

June  29th. — Just  at  nightfall,  on  my  last  date,  we  doubled 
Cape  Antonio,  the  extreme  westerly  point  of  Cuba,  at  a  distance 
of  ten  or  twelve  miles.  It  is  long  and  low,  covered  with  dark 
woods,  and,  in  general  aspect,  not  unlike  the  coasts  of  Long 
Island  and  New  Jersey,  as  seen  from  the  sea.  As  soon  as  our 
course  was  turned  northward  for  Havana,  the  regular  wind 
became  adverse  to  us,  and  the  next  morning  we  were  in  the 
Florida  Channel,  far  from  the  land  and  a  hundred  miles  and  more 
from  our  port.     The  tediousness  of  a  dead  beat  to  windward  was 


SCENES   OFF    HAVANA.  23 

relieved,  however,  by  the  greater  freshness  and  elasticity  of  the 
air,  in  comparison  with  that  on  the  south  side  of  Cuba.  For  two 
or  three  evenings,  here,  the  sunsets  were  among  the  most  gorgeous 
I  recollect.  The  whole  western  hemisphere,  filled  with  fantastic 
and  richly  colored  clouds,  glowed  with  a  brilliancy  and  glare  of 
crimson  light,  as  if  the  entire  sea  beneath  were  one  vast  bed  of 
volcanic  fire. 

After  two  days  we  again  made  the  land,  with  fine  views  during 
the  afternoon,  of  two  lofty  ranges  of  mountains  in  the  interior 
of  the  island — the  Sierra  del  Kosario  and  the  Sierra  de  los 
Organos  or  Organ  mountains ;  but  it  was  not  till  last  night  that 
we  reached  the  parallel  of  Havana.  At  10  o'clock  the  Moro  light, 
at  the  entrance  of  the  port,  was  descried,  some  fifteen  miles  dis- 
tant. Its  brilliant  flashings,  through  the  darkness  of  an  un- 
settled sky,  came  cheerily  upon  the  sight  over  the  troubled  water, 
in  the  assurance  they  gave  of  our  true  position,  amid  the  changing 
currents  and  hazardous  navigation  of  these  straits. 

Before  daybreak  this  morning  we  fell  in  with  and  spoke  the 
sloop-of-war  Germantown,  Captain  Lowndes,  cruising  off  the 
harbor.  I  was  early  on  deck.  The  morning  was  fresh  and 
beautiful,  but  the  shores  less  bold  and  striking  than  I  had  antici- 
pated; and  the  mountains  in- view  were  more  remote.  Still  the 
landscape  was  pleasing  in  its  verdure,  though  neither  varied  nor 
picturesque  in  its  outline.  Having  been  lying  to  for  the  night, 
we  were  still  eight  or  ten  miles  from  the  entrance  of  the  harbor  ; 
but  the  Moro  Castle  and  city  were  in  distinct  view — the  former, 
surmounted  by  its  pharos  towering  loftily  on  a  precipitous  cliff 
of  rock  on  the  left  of  the  entrance,  and  the  latter  stretching 
beneath  it  to  the  right,  in  a  long  line  of  whiteness  on  a  level  with 
the  sea. 

The  scene  increased  momentarily  in  interest.  A  fresh  trade- 
wind,  creating  a  sea  which,  in  the  brightness  of  the  sun,  tossed 
up  jets  of  diamonds  on  every  side,  hurried  us  rapidly  forward, 
under  topsails  and  topgallant-sails  only :  the  Germantown,  a 
beautiful  craft,  followed  closely  in  our  wake,  fluttering  over  the 


24  BRAZIL   AND    LA   PLATA. 

water  with  the  lightness  and  buoyancy  of  a  bird.  There  were 
besides  some  eight  or  ten  square-rigged  merchant  vessels  in  sight, 
under  various  degrees  of  sail — some  entering  and  others  leaving 
port.  While  in  the  midst  of  these,  the  Germantown  and  Congress 
interchanged  salutes,  with  pretty  effect  on  the  general  picture. 

The  wind  had  now  increased  to  a  half  gale ;  a  pilot  had 
boarded  us,  and  we  bore  away  with  a  rush  for  the  Moro,  which 
immediately  overhangs  the  entrance  to  the  port.  This  is  narrow 
— very  narrow ;  seemingly  a  mere  creek,  a  few  ships'  length  only 
in  width.  It  runs  at  right  angles  with  the  line  of  coast  along  which 
we  were  flying.  This  made  it  necessary  in  entering,  to  haul 
suddenly,  from  a  free  course,  closely  on  the  wind.  We  did  so,  at 
the  speed  of  a  race-horse,  almost  grazing  the  surf-lashed  rocks 
over  which  tower  the  frowning  battlements  of  the  Moro,  and 
within  biscuit  throw,  as  it  were,  of  the  batteries  of  the  Punta  on 
the  opposite  side — the  pilot,  momentarily  alternating  the  ex- 
clamation "  Hard  a  port !  "  "  Hard  a  starboard  !  "  "  Steady — 
steady !  "  kept  the  men  at  the  helm  on  the  full  spring  in 
shifting  the  wheel  from  side  to  side  ;  while  at  the  same  time  the 
yards  were  filled  with  the  crew  reducing  sail  to  bare  poles,  as  if 
by  magic,  under  the  trumpet  orders  of  the  first  lieutenant.  I 
thought  it  one  of  the  most  exciting  moments,  and  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  sights,  in  the  navigation  of  so  large  a  ship,  I  had  ever 
witnessed. 

In  less  time  than  is  required  thus  to  state  it,  we  were  trans- 
ferred from  the  tossings  of  a  rough  sea,  to  the  glassy  surface  of 
an  apparent  river.  The  scene  on  either  hand  was  picturesque  and 
animated.  On  one  side,  were  the  terraced  heights  adjoining  the 
Moro,  grim  with  the  defences  of  war,  relieved  here  and  there  by 
sentries  and  groups  of  soldiers,  lounging  about  the  batteries ;  and, 
on  the  other,  level  with  the  water,  a  range  of  stone  quays,  lined 
with  shipping  and  coasting  craft,  and  covered  with  sailors, 
boatmen,  negro  porters,  and  stevedores.  Beyond  rose  the 
buildings  of  the  city,  painted  in  every  variety  of  light  and  gay 
colors,  and  overtopped  by  the  time-stained  domes  and  towers  of 


ENTRANCE   INTO   PORT.  25 

the  cliurclies  and  other  public  structures.  The  aspect  of  the 
whole  was  so  entirely  transatlantic,  that  I  could  scarce  resist  the 
illusion  that  I  was  again  in  old  Spain,  and  that  it  was  "  fair  Cadiz" 
I  saw  stretched  before  me.  The  gallantry  of  our  entrance  had 
attracted  the  gaze  of  the  thousands  crowding  the  quay  in  its 
whole  length,  and  murmurs  of  admiration  were  every  where 
heard  at  the  beauty  of  our  frigate,  and  the  dashing  style  in  which 
she  glided  rapidly  along  under  the  headway  brought  in  by  her 
from  the  sea. 

At  the  end  of  half  a  mile,  the  straight  and  narrow  inlet  ex- 
pands into  a  round  basin,  five  or  six  miles  in  circumference.  Near 
the  centre  of  this  we  dropped  anchor :  having  the  city  and  its 
defences  towards  the  sea  on  one  side  of  us,  and  green  hills  tufted 
with  palm-trees  and  dotted  with  cottages  and  country  seats  on 
the  other.  The  harbor  is  a  gem  of  beauty,  capable  of  containing 
the  navies  of  half  the  world.  Five  Spanish  men-of-war,  includ- 
ing a  ship-of-the-line,  are  moored  within  pistol  shot  of  us,  and  the 
Germantpwn  immediately  at  our  stern.  The  dropping  of  the 
anchor  was  followed  by  salutes  from  our  batteries  of  twenty-one 
guns  to  the  flag  of  Spain,  seventeen  to  that  of  the  Spanish  ad- 
miral, in  command,  and  nine  in  honor  of  Mr.  Campbell,  the 
American  consul,  who  soon  boarded  the  Congress. 


CHAPTER    III. 

Havana. 

July  \st. — The  object  of  a  visit  by  the  Congress  to  Cuba, 
before  proceeding  to  lier  station  on  the  coast  of  Brazil,  is 
to  bring  to  a  close  the  negotiations  which  have  been  for  some 
time  pending  with  the  authorities  here,  in  reference  to  our  fili- 
bustering compatriots,  the  prisoners  of  Contoy. 

The  report  made  by  Captain  Lowndes  of  the  Germantown, 
on  boarding  us  in  the  offing,  and  by  Mr.  Campbell  afterwards, 
of  the  state  of  public  feeling  in  reference  to  these,  and  to  the 
citizens  of  the  United  States  in  general,  led  us  to  apprehend 
there  would  be  great  difficulty  in  securing  an  amicable  arrange- 
ment of  the  point  at  issue — the  disposition  to  be  made  of  the 
prisoners.  The  excitement  and  indignation  of  the  Spanish  pop- 
ulation of  the  city,  on  the  subject  of  the  attempted  invasion,  had 
been  great ;  and  manifested  especially,  within  a  few  days,  against 
Mr.  Campbell,  for  sentiments  on  the  subject,  exposed  in  a  cor- 
respondence between  him  and  the  Secretary  of  State,  recently 
called  for  by  Congress,  printed  in  the  newspapers  in  the  United 
States,  and  republished  here.  At  one  time  the  consulate  was 
believed  to  be  in  great  danger  of  violence  from  the  mob ;  and 
the  excitement  is  still  far  from  being  allayed.  In  view  of  this 
representation  we  apprehended  a  long  delay.  The  first  interview, 
however,  between  Commodore  McKeever  and  the  captain-gen- 
eral, the  Conde  d'Alcoy,  relieved  us  from  all  fear  of  this.  Every 
disposition  was  manifested  to  receive  favorably  the  mission  of  the 


AND    CAPTAIN-GENERAL.  27 

Congress ;  and  the  belief  is  that  the  special  matter  of  negotia- 
tion  will  be  speedily  adjusted. 

The  commodore  and  suite  were  received,  at  the  vice-regal 
palace,  in  the  most  frank  and  cordial  manner,  and  the  personal 
relations  of  the  treating  parties  placed,  at  once,  on  a  friendly 
footing.  The  governor-general  treated  lightly  the  fear  that  had 
been  suggested,  of  violence  to  the  consulate,  avowing  that  all 
property  and  life  in  the  city  and  island  were  in  the  keeping  of 
the  government ;  and  that  safety  in  both  was  more  sure  to  none, 
than  to  the  representatives  and  citizens  of  the  United  States. 
Summoning  the  chief  of  police  at  once  to  his  presence,  the  fol- 
lowing dialogue  in  substance  took  place  between  them.  "  Have 
you  heard,  sir,  of  an  apprehended  attack  by  the  populace  upon 
the  American  consulate  ?  "  "  No,  sir."  "  Do  you  believe,  sir, 
that  any  such  danger  exists  ?  "  "  No,  sir."  "  Could  a  project 
of  the  kind  be  in  agitation  without  your  knowledge  ?  "  "  No, 
sir."  "  See  to  it,  sir,"  added  the  count,  with  an  intonation  of  voice 
not  to  be  mistaken,  as  he  dismissed  the  functionary,  "  that 
nothing  of  the  kind  takes  place  !  " 

The  truth  is,  the  warmth  of  sympathy  felt  by  some  of  our 
fellow- citizens  for  the  would-be  revolutionists  within  Cuba  and  the 
marauding  filibusters  without,  backed  by  visions  of  national  and 
it  may  be  personal  aggrandizement,  through  annexation,  lead 
them  to  magnify  every  grievance  imaginary  or  real,  and  to  fan 
into  a  flame  each  spark  of  ill  will  elicited  by  the  collisions  that 
occur,  in  the  hope  of  embroiling  our  government  with  the  crown 
of  Spain ;  and,  through  conflict  and  conquest,  of  making  sure 
to  us  this  choicest  gem  left  in  her  colonial  tiara. 

That  the  Cubans  are  most  fearfully  oppressed  by  the  vice- 
regal rulers  here,  and  that  the  government  under  which  they  sufiier 
is  the  most  rigorous  military  despotism  in  the  civilized  world,  no 
one  with  the  slightest  knowledge  of  the  condition  of  the  island  can 
doubt.  The  simple  fact  that  twenty-four  millions  of  dollars  are 
annually  wrung,  by  various  forms  of  taxation,  from  a  white  popu- 
lation of  little  more  than  six  hundred  thousand,  proves  it,  with- 


28  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

out  an  enumeration  of  the  different  unjust  monopolies,  the  pro- 
hibitory imposts  upon  the  first  necessaries  of  life,  the  depreciating 
levies  on  all  the  products  of  labor,  and  the  vampire  presence  of 
a  foreign  soldiery,  sufficient  to  furnish  a  coustant  sentinel,  it  is 
said,  to  every  four  white  men  in  the  country ;  or,  a  reference  to  the 
fact  that  there  are  no  common  schools — no  liberty  of  the  press, 
no  liberty  of  speech,  and  scarce  the  liberty  of  thought.  Still, 
sad  as  the  truth  of  such  a»  condition  is,  it  does  not  justify  pirati- 
cal invasion  from  without,  or  agitating  and  revolutionizing  influ- 
ence on  our  part  within. 

The  probability  is  that  the  stay  of  the  Congress  will  be  very 
brief;  and  that,  consequently,  my  personal  knowledge  of  Havana 
and  the  Habaneros  will  be  limited  to  a  hasty  glance,  through  such 
loop-holes  of  observation  as  I  may  accidentally  light  upon. 

The  beauty  of  the  panorama  from  the  anchorage  is  so  varied 
and  so  striking,  that  in  the  enjoyment  of  it,  I  have  been  satis- 
fied thus  far  without  a  visit  to  the  shore,  though  this  is  the  third 
day,  including  the  Sabbath,  since  our  arrival.  While  examining 
closely  with  a  glass  again  and  again,  every  feature  of  the  open 
country  to  the  east  and  south,  I  could  but  indulge  in  many  a  re- 
miniscence of  tropical  life  at  the  Sandwich  Islands  and  South 
Seas,  awakened  by  the  plumed  palm  and  broad-leafed  banana, 
the  brightly  gleaming  hill  sides  and  velvet-like  slopes  character- 
istic of  the  scenery.  On  the  opposite  sides  of  the  harbor,  the 
city  and  its  fortresses, — its  private  dwellings  and  public  buildings, 
its  towers  and  domes  and  embattled  walls, — are  open  to  like  in- 
spection through  the  same  medium,  a  sea- telescope  of  surpassing 
excellence. 

While  in  the  midst  of  these  observations  this  morning, 
screened  from  the  mid-day  sun  by  the  well-spread  awnings  of  the 
poop-deck,  my  attention  was  drawn  to  a  movement  near  at  hand 
on  board,  occasioned  by  a  succession  of  visits  of  ceremony  from 
the  "  powers  that  be  "  in  this  viceroyal  dependency,  to  our  com- 
mander-in-chief and  our  captain.  I  am  told,  whether  correctly 
or  not,  that  the  same  policy  which  of  yore  prevented  Ferdinand 


VISITS    OF    CEREMONY.  29 

and  Isabella  from  keeping  faith  with  Columbus,  in  his  appoint- 
ment as  viceroy  of  the  New  World  with  undivided  power,  is 
still  adhered  to  by  the  Spanish  throne.  The  supreme  authority, 
in  place  of  being  vested  in  one  representative  of  the  crown,  is 
distributed  among  three — one  at  the  head  of  the  civil  affairs, 
another  chief  in  those  that  are  military,  and  a  third  supreme  in 
the  control  of  the  marine.  Each  is  in  his  own  department  inde- 
pendent of  the  other,  and  keeps  check  on  his  compeers  in  any 
assumption  of  undue  authority.  The  captain-general,  however, 
has  precedence  in  matters  of  ceremony,  and  is  the  nominal  head 
of  the  government.  He  does  not  visit  vessels  of  war,  and  the 
courtesy  on  his  part  is  expressed  through  an  aide-de-camp.  The 
visitor  in  his  stead  on  this  occasion,  was  the  Conde  Yilleneuva, 
a  fine-looking  young  man,  in  a  richly  embroidered  dress  of  blue 
and  silver,  but  without  military  decorations.  He  had  scarcely 
been  ushered  on  the  deck,  with  the  usual  ceremony,  when  a 
barge,  still  more  stately  in  the  number  of  its  oarsmen  and  the 
dimensions  of  its  banner  of  "  blood  and  gold,"  than  that  by 
which  he  had  arrived,  was  reported  by  the  quarter-master.  This 
bore  the  Intendante,  or  Military  Chief,  who  crossed  the  gangway 
in  full  costume,  with  a  magnificent  star  on  the  breast  and  three  or 
four  crosses  and  badges  of  knighthood  at  the  button  holes.  Nei- 
ther name  nor  title  was  announced  with  sufficient  distinctness  to 
be  heard,  and  in  view  of  the  number  and  brilliancy  of  his  deco- 
rations, I  felt  authorized  in  giving  him  precedence  of  the  count, 
by  at  least  one  grade  in  the  peerage,  and  set  him  down  for  a 
marquis :  especially  as  the  state  in  which  the  next  dignitary 
approached  would  lead  to  the  supposition  that  he  could  be  noth- 
ing less  than  a  duke — a  grandee  of  the  first  rank.  He  came  in 
a  superb  sixteen-oared  barge  of  the  purest  white,  picked  out  in 
gold.  He  was  a  most  stately  old  gentleman,  portly  in  person, 
fresh  in  complexion  for  a  Spaniard,  and  of  the  most  courtier-like 
and  finished  manners.  Three  magnificently  jewelled  stars  deco- 
rated his  left  breast,  with  the  crosses  of  twice  as  many  orders 
pendant  beneath,  and  over  all  the  broad  ribbon  and  insignia  of 


30  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

the  Golden  Fleece.  It  was  tlie  Commandant-general  of  Marine, 
or  Naval  Chieftain.  These  visits  of  mere  ceremony  were  brief, 
referring  in  conversation  to  the  most  common-place  topics,  fol- 
lowed by  a  departure  in  the  order  of  arrival. 

The  weather  since  we  have  been  here  has  been  like  that  of  the 
finest  days  in  June  on  the  Hudson :  the  sun  very  hot,  the  sky 
glowingly  bright,  the  breeze  fresh  and  seemingly  pure,  with  heavy 
showers  occasionally  in  the  afternoons.  In  the  evenings  and  at 
night  the  scene  from  shipboard  is  striking  and  impressive. 
Long  lines  of  brilliant  gas-lights,  marking  the  walls  of  the  city 
abreast  of  us,  with  the  gleamings  of  others  from  fortress  and 
tower  reflected  by  the  glassy  waters  of  the  bay  in  streams  of 
gold,  and  a  glorious  canopy  of  sparkling  stars  above,  compensate 
in  a  degree  for  the  absence  of  the  moon ;  while  a  fine  military 
band  stationed  on  the  ramparts  nearly  opposite  us  discourses  elo- 
quently, till  nine  o'clock,  the  compositions  of  the  masters  in 
opera. 

July  Sth. — My  first  visit  on  shore  was  in  company  with  my 
messmate  F — • — ,  after  the  heat  of  the  day  had  begun  to  pass. 
The  low  quays  of  a  yellowish  stone  which  face  the  water,  are 
thickly  lined  with  the  smaller  craft,  engaged  in  the  commerce  of 
the  port.  We  made  our  way  along  these  for  some  distance, 
through  an  atmosphere  redolent  of  tar  and  pitch  and  cordage — 
coff"ee  and  tobacco, — amid  soldiers  and  sailors  and  throngs  of 
brawny  negroes,  more  than  half  naked  and  reeking  with  perspi- 
ration, in  the  labor  of  loading  and  unloading  cargoes.  On 
turning  into  a  narrow  street  leading  into  the  city,  we  soon  dis- 
covered, that  the  buildings  which  from  our  moorings  meet  the 
eye  so  strikingly  in  their  gay  tintings  of  sky-blue,  pea-green, 
peach-blossom,  lemon  and  straw  colors,  with  their  mouldings,  cor- 
nices and  balustrades  of  the  purest  white,  are  thickly  inter- 
spersed with  others,  dingy,  shabby,  decayed  and  dirty  :  barn-like, 
stable-like  and  prison-like.  To  an  untravelled  visitor  from  the 
Northern  States,  this  last  characteristic  would  be  the  first  peculi- 
arity in  the  aspect  of  the  houses  to  attract  his  attention.     Every 


DKIVE    IN   VOLANTE.  31 

man's  dwelling  here  is  literally  liis  castle,  the  defences  of  which 
give  to  its  exterior,  on  the  ground  floor  especially,  the  appearance 
of  a  jail  at  home.  The  heavy  doors  opening  on  the  street,  are 
of  the  most  massive  make,  and  bossed  and  studded  with  iron  so  as 
to  be  bullet-proof,  while  the  lower  windows  are  universally  guard- 
ed from  top  to  bottom  by  strong  bars  and  network  of  the  same 
material.  The  general  style  of  building  is  the  Spanish-Morescan, 
many  of  the  dwellings  being  only  one  story  in  height.  The 
streets  are  straight  and  regular,  but  very  narrow,  scarcely  admit- 
ting two  vehicles  to  pass  each  other,  while  the  sidewalks,  as  termed 
by  us,  are  on  a  level  with  the  way  for  carriages,  and  a  foot  or 
eighteen  inches  only  in  width. 

A  short  walk  from  the  point  at  which  we  left  the  quay, 
brought  us  upon  a  small  but  pretty  and  artistic  square,  called  the 
Plaza  de  Armas.  It  is  enclosed  with  a  handsome  iron  railing,  is 
regularly  laid  out  in  walks,  bordered  with  gay  flowers  and 
shrubbery  overhung  by  the  silvery  trunks  and  long  pendant 
branches  of  the  palm-tree,  and  ornamented  in  the  centre  with  a 
fountain  and  statue  of  Ferdinand  VII.  of  Spain.  Its  south- 
ern side  is  faced  in  its  whole  length  by  the  palace  of  the  governor- 
general,  a  spacious  and  handsome  quadrangular  structure  of  stone, 
stuccoed  and  painted  sky-blue,  with  pilasters,  cornice  and  balus- 
trade around  its  flat  roof,  of  white. 

Our  chief  object  in  going  on  shore  was  the  enjoyment  of  a 
drive  outside  the  walls.  The  vicinity  of  the  Plaza  furnished  us 
with  the  opportunity  of  a  choice  of  equipage  for  the  purpose.  Lines 
and  groups  of  vehicles  were  standing  along  its  sides  and  at  the  cor- 
ners. An  omnibus  of  American  fashion  and  manufacture  was  seen 
on  its  route,  and  a  carriage  of  modern  style  passing  here  and 
there,  but  those  on  the  stand  were  exclusively  the  common  vehicle 
of  the  city  and  country,  the  volante — a  two-wheeled  clumsy-look- 
ing machine  of  by-gone  times  drawn  on  ordinary  occasions  by 
one  horse.  The  body  is  larger  than  that  of  an  American  gig  or 
chaise,  hung  very  low  like  an  old-fashioned  phaeton,  and  so 
delicately  poised  on  springs  of  great  elasticity  as  to  sway  about, 


32  BBAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

under  the  slightest  impulse,  with  a  most  buoyant  and  luxurious 
motion. 

I  find  even  a  pen-and-ink  sketch  so  much  more  satisfactory 
than  verbal  description,  in  conveying  just  ideas  of  novelties  such 
as  this,  that  I  am  more  than  half  disposed  to  attempt  one  here, 
at  the  double  hazard  of  defacing  my  paper  and  bringing  in  con- 
tempt my  skill  in  the  arts.  I  will  try  it.  The  experiment  is  not 
quite  so  successful  and  effective  as  I  could  wish  it  to  be,  but  it 
will  answer  the  purpose.  Do  not  think  it,  however,  defective  in 
the  proportions  exhibited,  either  in  regard  to  man  and  beast,  or 
to  the  distance  of  both  from  the  body  of  the  carriage.  The 
wheels  in  their  size  and  height,  in  comparison  with  the  top  of  the 
volante,  the  length  of  the  shafts,  and  the  bulk  of  the  black  cal- 
esero,  or  postillion,  in  contrast  with  that  of  the  little  pony  he 
bestrides,  are  all  true  to  the  reality,  rather  underdrawn  than 
exaggerated.  You  must  not  suppose  either  that  the  little  horse 
is  without  a  tail :  for  though  not  very  distinctly  visible  in  the 
sketch,  the  tail  is  there ;  neatly  plaited  and  closely  twisted  round 
the  hip,  like  the  braid  of  a  lady's  hair  around  her  ear,  and  made 
fast  by  a  gay  ribbon  to  the  postillion's  saddle. 

The  colors  of  these  carriages,  in  body,  shafts  and  wheels,  are 
more  varied  than  those  of  the  rainbow:  scarlet,  yellow,  blue, 
green — in  endless  tintings,  contrasting  showily  with  mountings 
of  silver  or  silver-gilt,  in  greater  or  less  profusion  and  massive- 
ness,  according  to  the  rank  or  riches  of  the  owner.  The  harness 
to  our  eyes  appears  complicated  and  heavy.  It  also  is  ornament- 
ed more  or  less  elaborately  with  silver  or  gilt  platings.  As  to 
the  postillion,  picture  to  yourself  the  most  perfect  personification 
of  Congo  blackness  you  ever  saw,  in  the  form  of  a  stout  muscular 
negro,  with  features  and  heels  to  match  ;  put  him  in  a  very  short- 
waisted  jacket — scarlet,  blue,  yellow  or  parti-colored,  and  gay 
with  worsted  lace  for  livery,  and  into  very  high  riding  boots,  large 
enough  for  Goliath,  and  with  the  sketch,  you  will  have  a  tolerable 
idea  of  the  equipage  in  which  F and  I  set  off  from  the  Caf6 


PASEO   AND   CHAMPS   DE   MARS.  33 

Dominica,  not  far  from  the  Plaza  de  Armas,  for  a  drive  in  the 
suburbs. 

At  the  end  of  a  half  mile,  it  may  be,  through  the  narrow 
streets,  with  shops  and  counting-rooms  and  dwellings  on  either 
side,  widely  open  and  within  reaching  distance  by. the  hand,  we 
came  to  the  principal  gateway  in  the  western  walls,  leading  directly 
upon  the  Paseo  de  Isabella  II.,  the  fashionable  promenade  and 
drive  without  the  walls :  the  Hyde  Park  and  Champs  Elysee  of 
the  Habaneros.  This  extends  the  whole  length  of  the  western  side 
of  the  city,  and  is  garden-like  and  beautiful  in  its  trees,  shrubbery 
and  flowei's.  Two  broad  carriage  ways  run  from  end  to  end  with 
four  or  more  gravelled  walks  between  them ;  a  fountain  ornaments 
either  extremity,  and  in  the  centre  is  a  statuette  of  Isabella  II., 
erected  shortly  after  her  succession  when  a  child  :  the  more  wel- 
come from  associations  of  purity  and  innocence,  which  an  image 
of  her  majesty  in  later  years  would  be  little  calculated  to  suggest. 

A  range  of  stately  buildings  on  the  west,  faces  and  overlooks 
this  point  of  aristocratic  and  fashionable  reunion  :  an  opera  house 
and  palatial  caf6  with  other  imposing  structures,  giving  quite  a 
metropolitan  air  to  the  scene.  The  first  two  mentioned  bear  the 
name  of  Tacon,  in  honor  of  the  captain-general  of  that  name, 
during  whose  rule  they  were  built,  and  whose  administration  a 
few  years  ago,  was  distinguished  by  such  signal  reforms  in  the 
police  of  the  city,  and  the  entire  suppression  of  the  cut-throat 
outrages  before  so  common.  The  enlarged  views,  public  spirit, 
energy  and  determination  which  characterized  his  measures, 
stamped  his  name  indelibly  on  the  city ;  and  to  these  is  the  pop- 
ulation indebted,  not  only  for  the  effectual  suppression  of  crime, 
but  for  much  also  of  the  ornamental  architecture  which  it  boasts. 

South  of  the  Paseo  is  the  Champ  de  Mars,  an  extensive 
parade  ground,  lined  with  spacious  barracks  and  other  govern- 
mental buildings.  Passing  these  we  drove  three  or  four  miles 
over  a  broad  and  well-kept  macadamized  avenue,  filled  with 
animated  life  in  every  form,  and  lined  with  suburban  residences 
luxuriant  in  the  richness  and  beauty  of  tropical  growth  in  tree, 
2* 


34  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

shrub  and  flower  :  all  in  such  wide  contrast  with  scenes  witnessed 
in  a  drive  of  like  length  in  the  suburbs  of  a  city  with  us,  as 
to  excite  the  wonder,  why  more  of  our  citizens  of  wealth  and 
leisure  do  not  take  the  short  trip  to  Havana  in  the  winter,  to  be 
amused  and  instructed  by  its  novelties,  and  charmed  by  the 
blandness  of  its  climate  and  the  splendor  of  its  vegetable  life. 
Although  the  soil  in  this  section  of  the  island  is  of  an  inferior 
quality  to  that  of  most  other  regions,  there  are  evidences  on  every 
hand  of  the  richness  and  beauty  which  have  secured  to  Cuba  the 
proud  and  winning  title  of  "  Queen  of  the  Antilles,"  and  make 
her  the  choicest  colonial  possession  left  to  Spain. 

From  the  heat  of  the  climate,  the  construction  of  the  houses, 
in  general,  is  such  as  to  make  them  little  more  than  so  many  open 
pavilions,  from  which  as  you  drive  by,  you  unavoidably  catch  not 
only  the 

"  Manners  living  as  they  rise," 

but  many,  if  not  all,  the  habits  of  life  of  the  inmates.  The  eye 
penetrates  at  a  glance,  as  it  were,  the  entire  domestic  economy 
of  the  household.  The  dwellings  are,  for  the  most  part,  one 
story  only  in  height,  with  a  tower  or  mirador  at  one  end  or 
corner,  for  a  "  look-out."  Externally  they  seem  all  door  and 
window.  These  are  very  wide,  and  extend  from  the  ceiling  to  the 
floor,  on  a  level  with  the  street.  Thrown  widely  open  in  the 
cool  of  the  day,  the  interior  becomes  fully  exposed  :  furniture 
and  inmates — the  whole  family  group  in  full  dress  or  dishabille 
as  the  case  may  be — a  scene  on  the  stage  of  life,  as  open  to  in- 
spection as  one  from  a  drama  on  the  boards  of  a  theatre.  This  is 
as  true  of  the  dwellings  of  the  rich  as  of  the  poor.  In  seeing 
the  whole  diagram  of  the  interior  thus  exposed  without  any 
appearance  of  bed  or  bedroom,  the  wonder  in  my  mind  was  where 
the  people  could  sleep  ?  On  expressing  some  curiosity  on  this 
point,  I  was  told  that  in  many  cases,  the  beds  of  the  family  con- 
sist of  mats  or  mattresses,  spread  at  night  on  the  floor,  or  in  cots 


EVENING   PKOMENADE.  35 

in  the  reception-rooms,  while  in  most  houses  an  inner  court  is 
encircled  by  small  sleeping  and  dressing-rooms. 

Many  of  the  residences  of  the  gentry  and  moneyed  aristocracy 
in  the  suburbs  are  luxurious  and  princely ;  exhibiting  long  suites 
of  spacious  and  elegantly  furnished  apartments,  with  floors  of 
polished  marble  and  the  oriental  luxury  of  jetting  fountains  and 
clustering  flowers,  endless  in  the  variety  of  their  tint  and  per- 
fume. The  gardens  attached  to  some  of  these  are  laid  out  with 
taste,  and  kept  in  the  nicest  order,  filled  with  an  exuberance  of 
choice  plants  known  to  us  at  the  North  only  in  the  dwarfish  and 
stunted  growth  of  the  conservatory.  Indeed,  many  which  are 
cherished  exotics  with  us,  are  here  seen  in  rank  profusion  in  the 
hedges  and  by  the  roadside,  like  the  thorn  and  the  thistle  of  our 
ruder  climate. 

By  the  time  of  our  return,  the  hour  for  the  drive  and  prom- 
enade of  the  citizens  had  arrived ;  and,  as  we  approached  the 
Paseo,  we  were  met  and  passed  by  great  numbers  of  equipages 
of  varied  style.  Some  were  altogether  American  and  European 
in  their  appointments;  but  most  were  the  native  volante  in 
greater  or  less  elegance  and  richness — some  with  one  horse  only, 
and  others  with  two.  When  two  are  used,  the  second  is  placed 
abreast  of  the  one  in  the  shafts  and  ridden  by  the  calesero. 
Each  carriage  contained  from  one  to  three  females,  in  full  dress 
as  if  at  a  party — low  necks  and  very  short  sleeves :  to  which 
may  be  added,  very  fat  figures  and  very  dark  skins.  Bonnets 
are  not  worn  of  course  with  this  costume,  nor  indeed  with  any 
other.  The  coiff"ure  at  this  season  is  of  ribbons,  gauzes,  laces  and 
other  zephyr-like  materials,  with  flowers  and  jewelry ;  but,  in  the 
winter,  I  am  told,  these  give  place  to  head-dresses  of  velvet  and 
satiuj  with  ostrich  plumes,  pearls  and  diamonds.  As  the  volantes 
pass  and  repass  along  the  carriage  drive,  salutations  are  exchanged 
between  the  ladies  in  the  vehicles  with  each  other,  and  with 
acquaintances  and  friends  among  the  gentlemen  on  foot  or  on 
horseback,  by  the  eyes,  the  fan  and  hat,  more  than  with  the 
voice ;  but,  so  far  as  I  observed,  the  ladies  did  not  alight  as  is 


36  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

the  custom  in  Europe  in  many  places  of  the  kind,  to  join  in  the 
promenade  on  foot,  or  form  groups  for  conversation.  At  night- 
fall there  is  a  return  to  the  city,  where,  for  an  hour  or  two,  the 
ladies  amuse  themselves  in  driving  from  shop  to  shop,  to  have 
such  articles  as  they  ask  for  brought  to  their  carriages  for  inspec- 
tion, or,  proceeding  to  the  Plaza  de  Armas,  again  join  their 
associates  of  the  beau  monde  in  display  and  flirtation  by  lamp- 
light or  moonlight  as  the  case  may  be,  while  a  regimental  band  in 
front  of  the  governmental  palace  gives  a  free  concert  of  instru- 
mental music  till  nine  o'clock.  The  evening  on  this  occasion  was 
delightful,  and  we  prolonged  our  stay  and  observations  till  that  hour. 

So  well  pleased  was  F as  well  as  I  with  this  first  peep 

on  shore,  that  we  repeated  the  visit  two  days  after,  driving  as  far 
as  the  Bishop's  garden,  the  principal  attraction  of  the  kind  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  city.  Since  then  there  has  been  much 
heavy  rain.  The  trade  wind  at  the  same  time  ceased,  causing  a 
closeness  of  atmosphere  that  has  been  very  oppressive,  and  made 
me  more  than  content  to  remain  for  the  most  part  quietly  on 
board  ship :  I  say  for  the  most  part,  for  I  went  once  into  the 
city,  on  a  solitary  pilgrimage  to  the  tomb  of  the  good  and  great, 
and  ever  to  be  honored,  discoverer  of  the  New  World.  As  you 
know,  his  remains  were  removed  at  intervals  of  time  of  various 
length,  from  Valladolid  where  he  died,  to  Seville,  and  from 
Seville  to  St.  Domingo,  the  resting-place  designated  for  them  in 
his  will.  On  the  cession  of  that  island  to  France  in  1796,  they 
were  brought  to  Cuba,  and  deposited  with  great  ceremony  in  the 
cathedral  of  Havana.  A  medallion  likeness  in  marble,  with  a 
short  inscription  on  a  mural  tablet,  marks  the  spot  in  the  chan- 
cel near  the  high  altar  where  they  have  found,  as  it  is  to  be  hoped, 
a  lasting  sepulchre.  No  American  can  stand  near  them  un- 
moved :  or  without  a  recurrence  in  thought  to  the  sublime  vision 
of  an  unknown  world,  which  so  long  filled  the  mind,  and  amid 
endless  discouragements  and  disappointments  sustained  the  hopes 
and  energies  of  the  adventurous  navigator,  till  it  issued  in  a 
glorious    reality ;    or    without   deep    sympathy    in   the   vicissi- 


VISIT    TO   REGLA.  37 

tudes  and  trials  of  his  after  life,  and  the  neglect  and  injustice 
which  brought  his  gray  hairs  with  sorrow  to  the  tomb.  Near  by 
are  exhibited — I  was  about  to  say  the  ignominious,  but  I  recall 
the  epithet — the  ennobled  fetters  with  which  an  ungrateful 
monarch  permitted  a  jealous  rival  and  enemy  to  manacle  his 
limbs. 

On  another  occasion  I  left  the  ship  after  night,  for  a  row 

across  the  harbor  with   Lieut.  T in  his  gig.     It  had  been 

our  intention  to  pass  the  evening  in  the  city,  in  a  visit  to  some 
families  of  his  acquaintance  to  whom  he  wished  to  introduce  me, 
but  the  heat  and  dampness  of  a  debilitating  and  sickening  atmos- 
phere during  the  day,  determined  us  to  postpone  this  till  the 
return  of  a  more  invigorating  and  elastic  air.  Our  row  was  from 
the  anchorage  of  the  men-of-war  through  that  of  the  merchant 
ships,  at  another  point  in  the  harbor,  to  a  landing  near  the  town  of 
Regla  opposite  the  city ;  a  place  of  no  enviable  notoriety,  in  times 
past,  as  a  kind  of  city  of  refuge  through  the  indulgent  winkings 
of  government  officials,  first  for  the  pirates  who  once  infested 
these  regions,  and  more  recently  for  dealers  in  the  slave  trade. 
Here  also  is  one  of  the  principal  amphitheatres  for  the  exhibi- 
tion of  the  favorite  national  amusement,  the  bull  fight.  The 
special  object  of  the  trip,  on  the  part  of  my  companion,  had  some 
reference  to  the  disposition  of  the  slush  of  the  Congress,  if  you 
can  comprehend  the  import  of  so  elegant  a  term  in  a  ship's  econ- 
omy :  mine  partly  the  pleasure  of  his  company,  and  partly  to 
inquire  the  state  of  the  sick  in  a  private  hospital  for  cases  of 
yellow  fever,  and  to  learn  the  practicability  of  visiting  any 
American  seamen,  who  might  be  suffering  there  from  this  pest  of 
Havana,  already  beginning  its  annual  ravages. 

The  night  was  very  dark  for  a  tropical  region,  and  the  most 
striking  imagery  discernible,  as  we  threaded  our  way  amidst  the 
shipping,  was  the  black  masses  of  spars  and  rigging  pencilled 
against  the  sky  above  us ;  the  long  line  of  brilliant  lights  mark- 
ing the  walls  of  the  city  reflected  in  streams  of  fire  on  the 
glassy  water ;   and  the  alternate  dim  glimmerings  and  blinding 


38  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

flashes  of  the  revolving  pharos,  surmounting  the  lofty  tower  of  the 
Moro. 

July  l^th. — Bright  weather  has  returned,  and  with  it  the 
regular  trade  wind  from  the  sea.  We  rejoice  in  this,  not  only 
from  the  greater  comfort  it  insures,  but  also  from  the  promise  it 
holds  out  of  continued  health  in  our  ship's  company.  The 
change  induced  Lieut.  T and  myself  to  make  our  contem- 
plated visit  on  shore  last  evening.  For  a  couple  of  hours  before 
nightfall,  we  drove  in  a  volante  a  circuit  of  some  miles  through 
the  environs,  amid  scenes  and  scenery  of  unceasing  novelty  and 
endless  variety,  embracing  the  attractive  and  beautiful ;  the 
grotesque  and  ludicrous ;  elegance  and  magnificence,  filth,  naked- 
ness and  degradation,  strangely  commingled.  Here,  a  splendid 
equipage  as  perfect  in  its  appointments  as  any  to  be  met  in  New 
York  or  London ;  there,  a  vehicle  as  rude  and  clumsy  as  if  be- 
longing to  the  birthday  of  invention.  Here  a  cabalero  admirably 
mounted,  riding  a  blooded  horse  with  all  the  stately  solemnity  of 
a  grandee  of  the  first  order ;  there,  a  negro  or  montero,  in  rags 
and  half  nakedness  urging  onward,  at  a  most  sorry  pace,  as 
broken  down  a  -skeleton  of  a  pony  or  jackass  as  ever  contrived 
to  put  one  foot  before  another.  Here  a  squad  of  well-equipped 
soldiers;  there  a  gang  of  manacled  and  ruffian-looking  galley- 
slaves — thus  without  end,  exciting  alternate  admiration  and  dis- 
gust, smiles  and  pity.  Before  commencing  the  visits  of  the 
evening,  we  took  a  bird's-eye  view  of  the  fashionable  movements 
in  the  Paseo,  from  the  upper  balconies  of  the  Cafe  Tacon  which 
overlook  it,  and  of  the  magnificent  panorama  of  the  city,  the  sur- 
rounding country,  and  the  sea,  commanded  from  the  leads  of  its 
flat  roof,  and  then  proceeded  to  meet  an  engagement  at  the  con- 
sulate for  tea. 

July  11th. — It  has  been  known  for  two  or  three  days  past, 
that  the  object  of  our  visit  was  well  nigh  accomplished,  and  that 
the  prisoners  of  Contoy  were  to  be  delivered  to  the  keeping  of 
our  flag,  on  the  condition  of  their  immediate  transportation  to 
the  United   States.     The   U.  S.   steamer  Vixen  came  into  port 


THE    CAPTIVE    FILIBUSTERS.  39 

yesterday,  bringing  Commodore  Morris  as  an  additional  agent  of 
our  government  in  the  negotiation  of  this  matter,  but  too  late  for 
the  object  of  his  mission,  the  work  being  already  done. 

At  twelve  o'clock  this  morning,  the  prisoners  were  brought 
on  board  the  Congress  in  the  boats  of  the  Spanish  ship-of-the-line 
near  us.  They  are  some  forty-two  or  three  in  number,  appearing 
a  sorry-looking  set  of  adventurers  indeed,  as  they  crossed  the 
ship's  sides  to  be  mustered  in  the  gangways,  and  turned  over  to 
our  charge  by  the  Spanish  officer  bringing  them.  Most  of  them 
are  young — many  mere  boys — and  a  majority  evidently  scape- 
graces, including  a  few  wild-looking,  muscular  and  wiry  Western 
men,  tall  Kentuckians  and  Mississippi  black-legs.  They  have 
been  well  fed  and  well  taken  care  of,  it  is  said ;  but  they  all 
looked  pale,  and  some  seemed  nervously  agitated.  This  is  to  be 
attributed,  it  is  probable,  to  the  uncertainty  till  the  very  moment, 
of  the  result  of  the  sudden  summons  they  had  received  from 
their  keepers  to  prepare  for  some  event  of  which  they  were  kept 
ignorant,  and  which  they  had  more  reason  to  fear  might  be 
death  under  the  fire  of  a  platoon  of  soldiers,  than  liberty 
beneath  the  flag  of  their  country.  During  their  captivity  they 
had  been  denied  all  intercourse  with  others,  and  had  no  means 
of  learning  their  probable  fate.  At  times,  the  most  intelli- 
gent among  them  had  been  subject  to  threats  of  immediate 
execution,  seemingly  in  the  hope  of  extorting  some  confession 
differing  from  the  general  attestation,  that  they  had  been  en- 
trapped into  the  expedition,  under  a  contract  of  being  conveyed 
to  the  isthmus,  on  their  way  to  California,  and  on  discovering 
the  imposition  had  refused  to  take  part  in  the  attempted  invasion. 
The  most  cheering  hopes  that  had  reached  them  were  derived 
from  the  salutes,  in  honor  of  the  4th  of  July.  They  inferred 
from  these  the  presence  of  American  men-of-war  of  heavy  metal, 
and  that  their  case  was  neither  forgotten  nor  neglected  by  the 
American  government.  I  well  recollect  thinking  and  feeling, 
at  the  time,  that  the  repeated  thunder  of  the  heavy  batteries  of 
the  Congress,  from  sunrise  to  sunset  on  that  day,  re-echoed  by  all 


40  BRAZIL   AND   LA  PLATA. 

the  men-of-war  in  port,  must  have  brought  them  hope  with 
no  uncertain  sound,  whether  it  reached  their  ears  in  the  hold 
of  the  guard-ship  or  the  dungeons  of  the  Moro  castle  :  for  even 
the  place  of  their  confinement  was  withheld  from  us.  At  three 
o'clock  this  afternoon,  the  whole  number  was  transferred  to  the 
sloop-of-war  Albany,  for  passage  to  Pensacola.  She  is  to  sail 
to-morrow  morning  at  daybreak,  and  it  is  announced  that  the 
Congress  will  leave  the  harbor  in  company  with  her,  and  proceed 
to  her  destination  on  the  coast  of  Brazil. 

Great  credit  is  due  to  Commodore  McKeever  for  the  speedy 
adjustment  of  this  difiiculty.  His  courteousness  and  amenity  at 
once  made  smooth  the  way  to  negotiation.  He  is  a  man  of  peace- 
fulness  and  good  will,  more  disposed  to  pour  the  oil  of  kindness 
on  troubled  waters  than  to  cast  in  any  new  element  of  agitation, 
and  to  his  firmness  and  gentleness  combined,  are  to  be  attributed 
the  early  and  desirable  result  attained. 

Thus  terminates  this  filibustering  invasion  of  Cuba.  But  is 
it  the  end  ?  The  enterprise,  as  projected  and  fitted  out,  was  most 
ill-judged  and  piratical.  But  is  it  true  that  its  origin  and  means 
of  equipment  were  entirely  from  abroad  ?  Is  there  no  deep 
sympathy  with  such  an  adventure  among  the  Creole  inhabitants 
of  the  island  themselves  ?  Is  the  spirit  of  patriotism  and  of 
liberty  here  dead  ?  Are  there  no  groanings  beneath  the  galling 
chains  of  a  cruel  and  grinding  despotism  ?  No  sense  of  degra- 
dation, no  purpose  to  be  free,  among  the  intelligent  and  aspiring 
of  the  native  population  ?  It  is  impossible  that  there  should 
not  be.  The  prosperity  and  the  glory  of  the  unfettered  nation  j 
immediately  facing  them  are  too  near,  and  too  brilliant,  not  to  be  - 
reflected  eventually  in  attractive  splendor,  through  every  valley, 
and  over  every  mountain  top  of  this  gem  of  the  seas.  An 
atmosphere  of  freedom  so  near,  must  impart  something  of  its 
elasticity  and  its  power  even  to  the  depressing  vapors  of  such  a 
despotism.  The  Cuban  in  his  summer  visits  of  business  or  of 
pleasure  to  the  United  States,  inhales  and  carries  it  back  with 
him,  and  the  American  in  his  winter  sojourn  here,  insensibly  bears 


DESTINY   OF    CUBA.  41 

it  wherever  he  goes.  The  breath  of  liberty  has  been,  and  will 
continue  to  be  inspired  by  the  natives  of  the  island ;  and  unless 
the  mother  country,  with  timely  wisdom,  changes  her  colonial 
policy  and  ameliorates  her  iron  rule,  restlessness,  agitation  and 
revolt,  must  be  the  issue,  and  Cuba  become  independent  in  self- 
rule,  or  free  by  voluntary  annexation  to  the  nation  to  which, 
geographically  at  least,  she  rightfully  belongs. 


CHAPTER    IV. 


Gx7LF  OF  Florida. 


July  12th. — True  to  the  announcement  last  night,  all  hands 
were  called  to  weigh  anchor  at  daybreak  this  morning ;  and,  by 
sunrise,  under  the  double  impulse  of  a  light  land  breeze,  and  the 
oars  of  a  long  line  of  man-of-war  boats  having  the  Congress  in  tow, 
we  made  our  way,  through  the  narrow  entrance  of  the  port,  to 
the  open  sea. 

Many  merchant  ships  also  were  taking  their  departure.  The 
shrill  calls  of  the  bugle  from  barrack  and  fortress ;  the  unfurling 
of  signal  and  banner  from  mast-head,  battlement  and  tower; 
strains  of  military  music  from  different  points ;  the  lively  move- 
ment in  all  directions  of  boats  and  small  craft  on  the  water ;  and 
the  rising  hum  of  active  life  from  the  city,  gave  exciting  animation 
to  the  picture,  while  the  purple  hues  of  the  morning  and  its' 
balmy  breath,  added  a  fresh  charm  to  the  whole. 

After  enjoying  the  scene  till  we  were  outside  the  harbor,  I 
went  below,  intending  to  return  to  the  deck  in  time  for  a  farewell 
view,  not  only  of  the  island,  but  of  the  Moro  castle  and  city  also. 
So  rapid  was  our  course,  however,  from  a  strong  current,  as  well 
as  a  fr^sh  breeze,  that,  on  reaching  the  poop  for  this  purpose, 
"  the  blue  above  and  the  blue  below"  were  alone  to  be  seen  ;  and 
undisguised  satisfaction  was  every  where  manifested  that,  not  only 
the  sickly,  though  beautiful  port,  but  the  entire  island  had  been 
left  out  of  sight  behind  us. 


GULF    OF    FLORIDA.  43 

The  first  object  that  met  my  eyes  this  evening,  at  the  close  of 
our  accustomed  worship  on  deck,  was  the  silver  crescent  of  a 
new  moon  beautifully  defined  in  the  empurpled  sky ;  and,  I  inter- 
preted the  mild  and  benignant  beamings  sent  down  upon  us,  from 
its  young  course,  as  an  omen  of  good  in  our  voyage  across  the 
wide  sea. 

July  22c^,  N.  Lat.  37°,  W.  Long.  59°.— We  made  our  way 
gently  and  pleasantly  through  the  Straits  of  Florida :  sighting, 
during  successive  nights,  on  either  sides  of  the  channel,  while 
making  long  stretches  against  a  head  wind,  the  lights  of  Key 
West  and  Sand  Key,  Carysfort  Reef,  and  Gun  Key.  These 
numerous  beacons  speak  the  perilous  navigation  of  the  region. 
It  is  peculiarly  the  empire  of  the  wreckers,  whose  lives  are  spent 
in  constant  search  along  the  reefs,  which  for  two  hundred  miles 
here  edge  the  coast,  for  the  vessels  which  in  great  numbers  are 
yearly  cast  upon  them  by  storms,  or  the  treacherous  currents  of  a 
calm.  The  value  of  the  commerce  which  annually  passes  through 
the  Gulf  of  Florida  is  estimated  at  four  hundred  millions  of 
dollars,  of  which  not  less  than  half  a  million,  each  year,  is  lost  by 
shipwreck,  notwithstanding  the  vigilance  and  prompt  exertion  of 
the  amphibious  and  heroic  race,  whose  business  is  the  rescue  of 
the  lives  and  property  here  endangered. 

For  three  days  after  regaining  a  latitude  which  admitted  of 
plain  sailing,  we  had  boisterous  weather  and  a  wild  sea,  but 
an  unclouded  sky.  The  elastic  and  invigorating  atmosphere  at- 
tending it,  was  most  welcome  after  the  heats  of  Cuba.  At  such 
times  the  ocean,  in  its  ever-varying  forms  of  beauty  and  changing 
shades  of  prismatic  light  in  the  sunshine,  often  outrivals  in  at- 
tractiveness the  still  life  of  a  wide-spread  landscape  on  shore. 
There  is,  too,  a  voice  of  music  breathing  over  it ;  for,  not  less 
truthfully  than  poetically,  has  it  been  said  of  the  ocean,  there  is 

"  In  its  sleep  a  melody, 
And  in  its  march  a  psalm." 

Now,  however,  in  place  of  the 

"  Restless,  seething,  stormy  sea," 


44  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

we  have  on  every  side  an  illimitable  plain  of  the  deepest  blue, 
with  scarce  a  perception  of  those  giant  heavings  from  beneath, 
which  ever,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  tell  of  an  imfathomable 
abyss  of  waters.  Over  this  we  are  hurried,  without  a  conscious- 
ness of  motion,  at  the  rate  of  ten  miles  the  hour,  by  a  breeze  as 
balmy,  if  not  as  fragrant,  as  the  zephyrs  of  "  Araby  the  blest." 
Add  to  these  surroundings,  the  moon,  at  night,  riding  the  heavens 
above  in  sublime  tranquillity,  and  you  will  not  be  surprised,  if,  at 
times  at  least,  I  am  ready  with  the  poet  to  exclaim — 

"  Oil !  what  pleasant  visions  haunt  me, 
As  I  gaze  upon  the  sea, 
All  the  old  romantic  legends — 

AH  my  dreams  come  back  to  me  ! " 

July  29th. — Happily  I  am  not  unfitted  for  mental  occupation ; 
by  being  on  shipboard,  as  is  the  case  with  many,  and,  with  the 
prospect  of  a  voyage  of  fifty  or  sixty  days,  I  have  set  myself 
closely  to  work.  The  early  part  of  the  day  I  give  to  the  graver 
studies  of  my  profession,  and  the  later  to  lighter  reading  ;  visits 
to  the  sick,  when  there  are  such ;  exercise  on  deck  with  some 
fellow-officer;  and  such  "walks  of  usefulness"  as  I  can  light 
upon  among  the  crew,  in  different  parts  of  the  ship  in  the  evening, 
fill  up  the  intervals  of  leisure  till  bed-time. 

One  of  our  young  officers.  Midshipman  L ,  has  the  mis- 
fortune^ to  be  incapacitated  for  duty,  by  a  nervous  affection  of  the 
eyes  and  head,  the  consequence  of  three  separate  attacks  of  fever 
in  the  Grulf  of  Mexico.  The  surgeons  interdict  to  him  all  use 
of  the  eyes ;  and,  to  relieve  the  ennui  into  which  he  is  thus 
thrown,  I  have  invited  him  to  my  room  for  an  hour  or  two  every 
day,  that  by  my  reading  aloud  he  may  have  the  benefit  of  such 
works  as  I  am  running  over ;  travels  and  biography — Maxwell's 
Russia,  Irving's  Mahomet,  and  the  excellent  books  of  Miss 
Mcintosh,  the  accomplished  sister  of  the  captain  of  the  Congress, 
interspersed  with  those  of  a  more  serious  character,  such  as  An- 
gell  James'  "  Young  Man  from  Home  "  and  Pike's  "  Persuasives 


INCIDENTS   IN    THE    SICK-BAT.  45 

to  Early  Pietj" — have  thus  far  occupied  these  hours.  The  touches 
of  deep  feeling  frequently  met  in  the  writings  of  Miss  Mcintosh, 
in  her  lifelike  and  instructive  delineations  of  character,  have  been 
the  means  of  bringing  into  exercise  sympathies,  the  involuntary 
betrayal  of  which  to  each  other,  has  led  to  quite  an  intimate 
friendship,  considering  the  disparity  of  our  years. 

For  a  week  after  leaving  port,  we  had  every  reason  to  hope 
that  it  had  been  with  entire  impunity,  in  regard  to  health,  that 
we  had  been  exposed  to  the  burning  sun,  and,  at  this  season  of 
the  year,  pestilential  air  of  Havana.  But  on  the  eighth  day,  just 
as  we  were  congratulating  ourselves  on  the  certainty  of  our  escape 
from  all  infection,  a  light  fever  made  its  appearance  among  both 
officers  and  men.  Some  dozen  in  number  were  brought  down 
by  it.  It  was  the  yellow  fever,  but  of  so  modified  a  type,  that, 
in  a  few  days,  all  were  convalescent  and  no  new  cases  occurred. 

Sickness,  whether  of  a  serious  nature  or  not,  presents  an 
opportunity  of  approach,  and  often  gives  access  to  the  confidence 
which  I  am  careful  to  improve.  I  was  much  interested,  a  day  or 
two  ago,  in  an  interview  with  a  fine-looking  young  man  of  the 
crew,  under  the  influence  of  the  prevailing  epidemic.  He  had 
evidently  been  familiar  with  better  associations  than  those  of  a 
man-of-war  ;  and,  I  soon  learned  from  him  that  he  was  the  prod- 
igal son  of  a  pious  mother,  by  whom  he  had  been  carefully  trained 
and  cherished,  and  was  a  child  of  many  prayers.  The  first  glance 
of  his  eye,  as  I  approached  his  cot,  told  me  by  the  starting  tears 
— not  from  alarm,  for  no  danger  was  apprehended  in  his  case,  but 
from  remembrances  of  the  past — that  he  was  ,in  a  state  of  mind 
to  open  his  heart  to  me ;  and,  in  the  admissions  and  confessions 
of  a  long  conversation,  I  became  deeply  interested  in  the  peni- 
tence and  purposes  of  future  well-doing  which  he  avowed. 

In  a  hammock  near  by  I  found  a  middle-aged  Scotchman,  of 
intelligent  and  respectable  appearance,  who  was  equally  open  to 
religious  conversation.  He  told  me  he  had  been*  long  deeply 
sensible  of  his  guilt  and  misery  as  a  sinner,  and  greatly  troubled 
in  mind  and  conscience  ;  that  a  conflict  had  been  going  on  in  his 


46  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

soul,  as  if  a  good  and  an  evil  spirit  were  ever  in  contest  there  for  the 
mastery  over  him :  but  that  the  good  at  last  had  gained  the  tri- 
umph, and  he  was  "  at  peace  with  the  Father,  through  the  Son 
and  Spirit,  and  feared  no  evil — not  death  itself." 

August  7th,  N.  Lat.  12°,  W.  Long.  38°. — Delicious  seems  the 
only  epithet  descriptive  of  the  atmosphere  we  are  now  breathing, 
and  "  delicious — delicious !  "  is  the  stereotyped  exclamation  of 
every  one,  as  he  mounts  to  the  deck  from  below  and  drinks  in  the 
pure  ether,  as  if  it  were  the  very  elixir  of  life.  The  morning  is 
in  all  respects  lovely.  The  heavens  have  a  look  of  infinity.  A 
snow-white  cloud  alone  floats  here  and  there  in  them ;  and,  as, 
rushing  over  the  blue  sea,  before  the  fresh  trade-wind,  we  dash 
the  foam  widely  from  our  prow,  unnumbered  flying  fish  spring 
into  the  air,  and  skim  the  surface  of  the  water  before  and  around 
us,  like  so  many  birds  of  silver  gleaming  brightly  in  the  sun. 

August  2Sth,  N.  lat.  3°  30',  W.  Long.  25°.— The  region, 
through  which  we  have  been  making  our  way,  for  the  last  ten 
days,  is  known  among  seamen  by  the  very  unsentimental  name 
of  the  "  doldrums."  The  origin  of  the  epithet  it  might  be  diffi- 
cult to  trace.  It  is  an  equatorial  belt,  characterized  by  light 
weather  and  head- winds ;  by  alternate  calms  and  squalls,  clouds 
and  rain.  Hence  every  thing  on  board  and  without,  is,  and  has 
been,  in  as  wide  contrast  as  possible  with  that  of  my  last  date. 
The  whole  ship  is  saturated,  both  on  deck  and  below,  with  rain, 
and  the  washings  of  the  sea  through  the  ports  and  hawser-holes. 
The  air  on  deck  is  close  and  oppressive,  and  below  stifling  and 
musty,  and  the  tpssings  and  pitchings  and  rolling  of  the  ship 
any  thing  but  agreeable  to  the  fastidious  stomachs  of  many 
on  board — especially  to  my  friend  T ,  who,  though  famil- 
iar for  more  than  twenty  years  with  the  caprices  of  the 
deep,  is  in  a  most  annoying  state  of  discomfort  at  every  re- 
turn of  rough  weather.  The  progress  made  on  our  course  is 
small,  averaging  not  more  than  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles  in  the 
twenty-four  hours,  though  we  sail  by  tacks  in  that  period,  from 
a  hundred  to  a  hundred  and  fifty.     We  are  navigating  by  Lieut. 


47 

Maury's  wind  and  current  charts,  and  notwithstanding  the  seeming 
tedium  of  our  progress,  in  beating  against  what  he  denominates 
the  south-west  monsoons  of  these  latitudes,  are  satisfactorily 
demonstrating  the  truth  of  his  theory  and  the  correctness  of  his 
sailing  directions  in  conformity  with  it. 

It  is  now  some  six  or  eight  years  since  this  distinguished 
young  officer,  whose  attainments  in  abstruse  and  practical  science 
have  reflected  such  high  honor  not  only  on  his  profession  but  on  his 
country,  conceived  the  idea  of  collecting  as  many  of  the  log-books 
of  navigators  as  could  be  secured,  with  a  view  of  collating  them, 
and  of  projecting  upon  charts,  to  aid  in  the  better  navigation  of  the 
sea,  the  general  experience  in  winds  and  currents,  at  all  periods 
of  the  year,  in  the  different  regions  of  the  ocean.  He  at  the  same 
time  urged  upon  the  masters  of  ships,  the  importance  of  adding 
to  the  usual  subject-matter  of  their  logs,  the  temperature  of  the 
water,  the  set  of  currents,  and  the  depth  of  the  bed  of  the  ocean 
when  it  was  practicable  to  obtain  soundings.  As  an  incentive  to 
the  trouble  of  thus  keeping  a  log,  and  of  furnishing  an  abstract  of  it 
to  the  National  Observatory  at  Washington,  the  promise  was  given 
that  each  shipmaster  complying  with  the  suggestion,  should  re- 
ceive gratuitously  from  the  government,  a  copy  of  the  charts  and 
sailing  directions  which  might  be  the  result. 

Not  fully  alive  to  the  object  or  aware  of  its  great  importance, 
the  response  was  slow  and  imperfect.  In  the  course  of  a  few 
years,  however,  sufficient  data  were  secured ;  and  the  first  practical 
result  was  the  shortening  by  ten  days  of  the  voyage  to  the 
equator,  and  consequently  to  Rio  de  Janeiro.  From  the  earliest 
times  this  passage,  from  North  America,  had  been  made  by  run- 
ning obliquely  across  the  Atlantic  to  the  longitude  of  the  Cape 
de  Verde  Islands,  before  venturing  to  strike  the  north-east  trade- 
wind.  A  traditionary  report  and  belief  in  the  existence  of 
strong  adverse  currents  along  the  South  American  coast,  and 
the  fear  of  not  being  able  to  double  Cape  St.  Roque,  should  the 
equator  not  be  crossed  far  to  the  East,  led  to  this.  It  required  no 
little  moral  courage  and  determination  in  one  of  a  class  prover- 


48  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

bially  wedded  to  custom  and  subject  to  superstition,  to  venture 
the  trial  of  the  new  route.  Such  an  one  was  found,  however,  and 
the  result  was  most  satisfactory.  The  opinion  is  now  firmly 
entertained  by  many  of  the  most  experienced  navigators,  that  by 
following  the  direction  of  the  wind  and  current  charts,  the  length 
of  the  voyage  is  diminished  one  fifth.  This  is  an  immense  saving 
of  time  in  a  commercial  point  of  view.  Doubtless  the  patient  perse- 
verance of  the  accomplished  astronomer,  in  this  new  field  of  dis- 
covery, with  the  aids  which  are  now  rapidly  placed  in  his  posses- 
sion, will  lead  to  similar  results  on  all  the  grand  routes  of 
navigation  over  every  ocean,  and  place  the  commercial  world  in 
indebtedness  to  his  genius  for  savings  in  time,  and  consequently 
in  money,  of  incalculable  amounts. 

Last  night,  from  nine  till  ten  o'clock,  we  enjoyed  a  beautiful 
spectacle,  in  a  halo  around  the  moon  of  colors  as  vivid  as  those 
of  an  ordinary  rainbow,  and  in  concentric  circles  most  clearly 
defined.  The  moon,  near  the  full,  retained  her  face  of  silver  in 
the  midst  of  a  field  of  gold,  shadowing  towards  the  outer  edge 
into  a  delicate  amber  and  then  into  the  deepest  maroon.  A  belt 
of  the  purest  blue  intervened,  when  the  encircling  colors  were 
repeated  in  fainter  hues ;  apparently,  though  not  philosophically,  a 
reflection  of  the  first.     The  phenomenon  was  so  striking,  and  so 

singularly  beautiful,  that  Lieut  E. ,  the  officer  of  the  deck  at 

the  time — one  ever  alive  to  the  poetic  and  impressive  in  nature, 
as  well  as  to  the  scientific  and  practical  in  his  profession — dis- 
patched a  messenger  hurriedly  for  me.  The  commodore  and 
captain  were,  also  summoned,  and  soon,  with  most  of  the  other 
officers,  joined  us  on  the  poop,  while  the  whole  crew,  from  difier- 
ent  parts  of  the  ship,  shared  in  the  admiration  excited  by  the 
scene.  It  is  the  first  exhibition  of  any  thing  unusual  in  sky  or 
sea  that  has  thus  far  marked  our  passage.  A  humid  atmosphere  , 
and  a  thin  fleecy  scud  were  its  accompaniments. 

August  23c?. — In  the  course  of  the  night  of  the  22d  inst.  we 
took  the  south-east  trade-wind,  three  degrees  north  of  the  equator, 
and  at  once  bade  adieu  to  the  doldrums.     We  crossed  the  line  at 


CROSSING    THE    LINE.  49 

high  noon,  yesterday,  on  the  parallel  of  28°  30'  W.  long,  without 
any  very  perceptible  'jolt ;'  and  are  rushing  on  our  course  at  the 
rate  of  ten  miles  the  hour. 

Just  in  the  edge  of  the  evening,  after  hammocks  had  been  piped 
down,  the  ship  was  hailed  loudly  from  the  bows,  and  it  was  reported 
to  the  officer  of  the  deck,  that  "  Neptune  was  alongside  and  request- 
ed permission  to  come  on  board."  This  was  granted,  and  very 
unexpectedly  to  me  this  monarch  of  the  seas,  his  queen  and  suite 
made  their  appearance  on  deck.  They  were  soon  enthroned  on 
the  forecastle,  with  an  immense  bathing  tub  filled  with  salt  water 
in  front  of  them,  in  readiness  for  the  presentation  of  those  of  the 
crew  who  had  never  before  been  in  this  section  of  their  watery 
dominions.  The  sun  being  long  set,  and  the  moon,  for  the  time, 
obscured,  I  could  not  make  out  very  well  the  costume  of  their 
majesties  further  than  to  judge  it  to  be  of  the  latest  marine 
fashion.  The  most  conspicuous  article  in  that  of  Neptune  was 
a  full  bottomed  wig  of  white  manilla  grass,  closely  curled,  like 
that  of  a  lord  chancellor  on  the  woolsack,  but  covering  not  only 
his  head,  face  and  shoulders,  but  his  entire  figure,  giving  him  the 
aspect  in  general  of  a  polar  bear  with  the  head  and  mane  of  a 
lion.  He  bore  himself  with  imperial  dignity,  while  Madame 
Amphitrite,  of  very  sturdy  and  Dutch-like  make,  sat  meekly  by 
his  side,  in  a  fashionably  made  dress  of  coarse  canvas,  or  sacking, 
with  a  shepherdess  hat  of  the  same  material,  hair  in  long  ringlets 
'  a  1' Anglaise,'  cheeks  highly  rouged,  low  neck  and  short  sleeves, 
with  bare  arms  which  bore  a  very  suspicious  resemblance,  in 
muscle  and  color,  to  those  of  one  of  our  most  brawny  forecastle 
men. 

The  commodore,  with  whom  I  was  walking  on  the  poop-deck, 
being  informed  of  the  presence  of  the  distinguished  company, 
made  his  way  to  the  forecastle,  claiming  courteously  from  the 
monarch  the  privilege  of  the  entree,  from  having  crossed  the  equa- 
tor already  some  dozen  of  times.  This  Neptune  most  graciously 
conceded,  with  the  flattering  remark  that  he  "  recollected  his 
countenance  perfectly,  and  was  very  glad  to  see  him."  The 
3 


50  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

interview,  like  most  others  on  state  occasions,  was  brief,  conclud- 
ing on  the  commodore's  part  hj  his  saying,  "  he  presumed  the 
presentations  of  the  evening  would  be  numerous,"  Neptune  reply- 
ing "  yes,"  that  he  had  "  never  seen  so  many  green-horns  on 
board  one  ship  in  his  life  !  "  A  call  of  the  names  of  candidates 
for  the  honor  was  now  begun,  and  the  gentlemen  of  the  court, 
disguised  in  dress  and  with  blackened  faces,  began  to  drag  from 
every  hiding  place  many  an  unwilling,  but  vainly  resisting  sub- 
ject, who  had  never  before  entered  the  southern  hemisphere. 
Forced  into  the  presence  with  good-nature  and  laughter,  by  over- 
powering numbers,  and  blindfolded  and  seated  on  the  edge  of  the 
tub,  the  victim  was  hailed  by  Neptune  with  stentorian  voice 
through  an  immense  paste-board  trumpet,  in  the  questions — 
"  What  is  your  name  ?  "  "  Where  are.  you  from  ?"  "Were  you 
ever  in  these  parts  before  ?  "  While  in  the  act  of  answering 
each  of  these  respectively,  a  coarse  brush  dipped  in  a  mixture  of 
tar,  slush,  and  lampblack  was  hastily  passed  over  the  mouth  of 
the  respondent.  The  court  barber  was  then  called  to  do  his  duty 
in  shaving  the  gentleman  with  No.  5,  No.  9,  or  No.  15,  refer- 
ring to  the  qualities  of  the  razor;  this  being  determined  by 
the  degree  of  submissiveness  and  good-nature,  or  the  surliness 
and  resistance  of  the  subject  in  hand.  The  lathering  brush 
was  something  of  the  form  and  softness  of  a  broom  of  split 
hickory,  the  lather  the  composition  before  described,  and  the 
razors,  two  or  three  feet  in  length,  of  different  degrees  of  edge, 
from  the  smoothness  of  straight  wood  to  the  roughness  of  a  jagged 
piece  of  iron  hoop.  When  an  order  for  dressing  the  hair  was 
added,  in  penalty  of  special  refractoriness  and  ill-humor,  the 
brush  used  was  formed  of  long  wooden  pegs  fixed  in  a  board  with 
a  handle,  like  a  hatchel  for  dressing  flax ;  the  pomatum,  tar ;  to 
which,  in  extreme  cases,  was  added  a  powdering  of  flour  in  the 
style  of  "  '76,"  the  whole  winding  up  with  a  sudden  souse,  back- 
wards, heels  over  head  into  the  tub  of  salt  water.  The  presenta- 
tion thus  completed,  the  new  courtier,  half  drowned,  and  dripping 


NEPTUNE    ABOARD.  51 

like  a  water  god,  was  left  at  liberty  to  free  himself  at  leisure 
from  the  tar  and  lampblack,  and  dry  himself  as  best  he  could. 

The  case  of  all  others,  in  which  the  least  sympathy  was 
elicited,  was  that  of  a  young  landsman,  who,  after  long  impunity, 
had  been  detected  some  time  before  as  a  thief — supplying  his  own 
wardrobe  very  freely  from  the  clothes-bags  of  his  shipmates.  The 
answer  to  the  usual  question,  "  who  is  this  ?  "  when  he  was  brought 
forward,  "  Jackson  the  thief !  "  was  received  with  a  general  shout 
of  applause,  and  the  following  dialogue  ensued.  "  What  is  your 
name?"  "Jackson."  "Yes,  sir;  and  the  sooner  you  slip  your- 
self out  of  one  so  illustrious  the  better."  "  Where  are  you 
from  ?  "  "  0 ."  "  And  a  disgrace  you  are  to  so  respect- 
able a  place.  Were  you  ever  in  my  dominions  before  ?  "  "  No." 
"  I  knew  it :  and  take  care  you  are  never  found  in  them  again ; 
or,  if  you  are,  look  out  how  you  fill  your  bag  with  other  men's 
clothes  for  an  outfit !  "  "  Barber,  do  your  duty:  give  him  No.  15, 
and  see  that  you  dress  his  hair  in  the  first  style  !  " 

The  striking  of  eight  beUs  and  the  calling  of  the  first  night 
watch  brought  the  rough  sport  to  an  end.  I  have  not  time  to- 
night to  moralize  on  the  subject  or  to  speculate  upon  the  pro- 
priety of  the  indulgence.  By  whose  authority  it  was  sanctioned 
I  do  not  know.  Many  of  the  officers  regarded  it  I  believe  with 
disapprobation,  as  a  species  of  saturnalia  unsuited  to  the  rigid 
discipline  of  a  man-of-war,  and  liable  to  be  abused,  while  others 
defended  it  on  the  ground  of  old  usage  among  sailors,  and  as  an 
amusing  relief  to  the  tedium  of  a  long  voyage.  By  a  little 
management  I  succeeded  in  screening  from  observation,  till  all 
hands  were  called  to  duty,  two  or  three  youngsters  who  were 
anxious  to  escape  the  annoying  process. 

August  Ibth. — Sailing  in  the  latitudes  of  the  south-east 
trade-winds  is  the  very  perfection  of  life  at  sea.  The  waters,  as 
smooth  and  level  as  a  prairie,  are  of  the  deepest  tint  of  blue,  with 
the  addition  in  certain  declinations  of  the  sun,  of  a  dash  of  rose 
color,  imparting  to  the  whole,  for  a  time,  the  appearance  of  a 
plain  of  velvet  of  the  true  Tyrian  purple.     Though  moving  with 


52  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

great  rapidity,  througli  a  wide  and  deep  furrow  of  sparkling  foam 
cast  up  by  our  bows,  the  sails  of  our  frigate,  fully  set  from  the 
deck  to  the  royal-mast-heads  fore  and  aft,  sleep  by  the  hour, 
without  the  slightest  apparent  motion,  as  if,  in  place  of  canvas 
spread  to  the  breeze,  they  were  a  like  quantity  of  chiselled 
marble.  Then,  at  night,  such  a  moon !  with  the  southern  cross 
in  marked  beauty  inviting  to  the  sublimest  meditations.  The 
Magellan  clouds,  too,  are  in  sight :  small  spots  of  fleecy  whiteness  in 
the  sky,  similar  in  general  aspect  to  the  nebulae  of  the  milky 
way.  Indeed,  with  the  mercury  by  Farenheit  at  66°  the  whole 
Southern  hemisphere  is  in  brilliant  exhibition,  many  of  the 
most  conspicuous  stars  flashing  on  the  eye,  not  only  with  the 
brightness,  but  apparently  with  the  varying  tints  of  the  dia- 
mond. 

The  smoothness  of  the  sea  and  steadiness  of  the  wind  have 
afforded  a  good  opportunity  for  exercise  at  the  batteries,  and  in 
the  various  evolutions  incident  to  an  engagement  in  battle.  The 
station  of  a  chaplain,  in  action,  is  with  the  surgeons  in  the  cock- 
pit in  attendance  upon  the  wounded  and  dying ;  or,  at  his  option 
perhaps,  on  the  quarter-deck,  in  taking  notes  of  the  conflict.  In 
these  sham  engagements,  at  least,  I  prefer  the  deck :  and  have 
stood  with  the  commodore  and  captain,  while  broadside  after 
broadside  has  been  fired,  till  the  whole  ship  has  been  enveloped 
in  smoke,  and  I  found  myself  at  the  end  as  well  powdered  as  a 
miller,  though  not  in  such  whiteness.  An  evening  or  two  since 
trial  was  made  in  throwing  shell  with  the  Paixhan  guns.  The 
explosion  took  place  eight  seconds  after  the  discharge,  with 
beautiful  efl"ect.  The  tendency  of  all  these  exhibitions,  though 
only  as  an  exercise,  is  ever  to  make  me  regard  with  fresh  horror 
and  abhorrence  the  entire  system  of  war — its  principles,  spirit, 
implements  and  cruel  results. 

August  ^Oth. — The  prevailing  thoughts  and  feelings  of  my 
mind  and  heart  this  morning,  traceable  to  visions  of  the  night, 
may  be  best  expressed,  perhaps,  by  the  familiar  quotation — 


DREAMS    OF    HOME.  53 

"  Who  has  not  felt  how  sadly  sweet 

The  dream  of  home — the  dream  of  home 
Steals  o'er  the  heart  too  soon — too  fleet, 
!  "When  far  o'er  sea,  or  land  we  roam  ! 
Sunlight  more  soft  may  o'er  ns  fall, 

To  greener  shores  our  bark  may  come, 
But  far  more  bright,  more  dear  than  all. 

That  dream  of  home — that  dream  of  home  !  " 

Little  as  I  may  have  confessed  it,  "  Riverside  !  " — "  Riverside  !  " 
is  the  constant  echoing  of  my  heart,  and  my  home  is  ever  in 
bright  vision  before  me.  I  breakfast  with  you  every  morning, 
sit  by  moonlight  with  you .  in  the  verandah  every  evening :  walk 
with  you  every  day  to  "  Prospect  Rock  " — to  "  Grortlee  " — to  the 
upper  fields  beneath  the  mountain,  and  drive  with  you,  if  at  no 
other  time,  at  least  every  Sunday  to  your  little  church,  along  the 
magnificent  terrace  of  the  river-road. 

I  say,  I  breakfast  with  you  every  morning.  Did  you  know 
exactly  the  state  of  the  larder  and  store-room  of  our  mess,  you 
would  wonder  that  I  do  not  include  all  my  meals  in  the  avowal. 
For  some  time  past,  on  each  successive  day,  the  giving  out  of 
article  after  article  for  our  table,  has  been  reported,  till  nothing 
now  remains  but  salt  beef,  so  hard  as  fully  to  justify  the  sailor's 
cognomen  of  "  Uncle  Sam's  Mahogany,"  and  salt  pork  as  rusty 
as  the  beef  is  hard.  No  potatoes  or  other  vegetables,  no  butter 
better  than  rancid  lard,  and  no  bread  fit  to  be  eaten  except  the 
ship's  "  hard  tack,"  are  left.  Dried  beans  and  peas  we  have,  but 
both  filled  with  weevil,  which  the  cook  has  devised  no  means  of 
separating,  before  being  served,  from  the  article  itself  The  con- 
sequence is,  that  when  they  come  to  us  in  the  form  of  soup,  the 
floating  insects  drowned  and  overdone,  are  the  most  conspicuous 
part  of  the  mess,  and  when  baked,  give  to  the  dish  the  appear- 
ance of  being  already  well  peppered.  I  can  join  very  cheerfully 
in  a  jest  over  such  untempting  fare,  and  think  of  home ;  but 
cannot,  like  some  of  my  messmates,  persuade  myself  into  the 
illusion  that  the  little  black  insects  speckling  our  board  are  only 


54  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

a  ricli  condiment  to  give  zest  to  the  repast,  and  with  them  par- 
take of  it  con  gusto. 

Yesterday  our  last  turkey,  after  having  given  flavor  to  a  tu- 
reen of  watery  soup,  was  served  as  a  boiled  dish.  As  we  were 
about  taking  our  seats  at  the  table,  a  suggestion,  made  either  seri- 
ously or  in  mischief,  that  the  poor  bird  had  not  waited  for  the 
cook  to  bring  its  head  to  the  block,  but  had  died  unexpectedly 
of  its  own  accord,  put  a  participation  of  either  soup  or  meat,  on 
my  part,  out  of  the  question ;  and  led,  by  the  time  the  report 
had  made  the  circuit  of  the  table,  to  a  kind  of  impromptu  Court 
of  Inquiry  in  the  case.  The  steward  was  at  once  summoned  by 
the  head  of  the  mess,  who,  fond  of  a  joke,  and  knowing  that  the 
fat  and  shining  negro,  now  honored  with  this  ofi&ce,  like  many 
of  the  more  imitative  and  aspiring  of  his  race,  was  somewhat 
grandiloquent  in  his  language,  put  to  him  the  question — "  Stew- 
ard, are  you  quite  sure  that  the  old  fellow  under  this  cover  was 
entirely  vigorous  when  he  was  taken  from  the  coop  ?  "  "  No  I 
sir,  he  wasn't  wigorous  at  all !  he  was  perfectly  good  !  "  "  Why, 
steward,  what  do  you  suppose  I  mean  by  vigorous ?  "  "I  don't 
know,  sir,  but  I  suppose  from  the  way  you  ask  me,  something 
bad."  "  Well,  steward,  I  do  not  wish  to  be  too  particular  in 
this  investigation,  but  just  tell  me  this  much,  could  the  old  fel- 
low really  stand  on  his  legs  when  he  was  killed  ?  "     "  Sartain, 

sir,  he  could."     "Then,  gentlemen,"  says  Mr. ,  addressing 

himself  to  the  mess,  "  I  go  for  the  turkey,"  and  lifting  the  cover 
disclosed  to  view  a  mere  skeleton  in  a  shrivelled  bag  of  skin, 
with  scarce  an  ounce  of  flesh  on  the  whole  carcass. 

You  must  not  infer,  either  from  the  feelings  expressed  at  the 
beginning  of  this  date,  or  from  the  dietetic  disclosure  into  which 
I  have  been  incidentally  betrayed,  that  I  am  otherwise  than 
entirely  content  and  happy  :  as  much  so  as  I  well  can  be  in  this 
world  of  imperfection  and  sin.  This  is  attributable,  however, 
chiefly  if  not  solely  to  the  conviction  in  mind  and  heart,  that 
I  am  at  the  post  of  duty — 


IMPEDIMENTS   TO   PIETY.  55 

"  The  shepherd  of  a  wandering  flock 
That  has  the  ocean  for  its  wold — 
That  has  the  vessel  for  its  fold  ; " 

and  am,  as  I  trust,  in  a  spirit  cheerfully  and  faithfully  to  meet 
its  responsibilities.  Whether  to  any  high  result  or  visible  effect, 
it  is  not  in  the  power  of  man  to  say.  The  sufficiency  for  this  is 
of  God  alone.  I  am  thankful  that  I  feel  no  discouragement  in 
the  use  of  the  means  for  moral  reformation  and  spiritual  grace 
in  those  around  me.  Nothing  but  personal  experience  could  per- 
suade one  of  the  almost  insurmountable  obstacles  that  exist,  on 
board  a  man-of-war,  to  the  conversion  of  any  of  the  crew,  and 
to  a  life  of  godliness  in  one  of  their  number,  or  make  kim  credit 
without  close  observation,  the  number  and  the  power  of 

"  The  secret  currents  that  here  flow 
With  such  resistless  under-tow, 
And  hft  and  drift  with  terrible  force 
The  will  from  its  moorings  and  its  course." 

Nothing  less  than  a  miracle,  humanly  speaking,  could  achieve 
such  a  result ;  but,  as  the  conversion  of  any  soul,  and  a  life  of 
godliness  in  any  heart,  anywhere,  are  miracles  of  grace,  I  do  not 
allow  myself  to  despair  of  such  results  ultimately  through  the 
word  and  Spirit  of  God,  whether  I  ever  know  them  or  not.  So 
firmly  is  hand  joined  in  hand  among  the  crew,  against  every  thing 
savoring  of  a  profession  of  or  pretension  to  personal  religion, 
that  it  would  require  no  ordinary  degree  of  moral  courage,  in 
any  one — whatever  might  be  his  secret  convictions,  feelings  or 
purposes — to  disclose  or  avow  it.  Many  cheerfully  give  counte- 
nance, both  by  their  words  and  conduct  to  good  morals  in  others  ; 
but  all  seem  tacitly  at  least  to  say  "  thus  far  only  shalt  thou  go." 
Though  it  is  by  no  means  unusual  to  see  one  and  another  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  ship  reading  a  Bible  or  a  Testament  either 
alone  or  aloud  to  others ;  though  tracts,  and  religious  papers,  and 
books,  are  eagerly  accepted  and   seriously  read,  still,  to  get  the 


56  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

name  of  a  '  Bible-man  '  by  joining  a  class  for  reading  under  tbe 
chaplain,  or  of  a  psalm-singing  and  praying  man,  from  being 
known  to  practise  such  devotion,  is  as  much  dreaded  as  would  be 
a  scurrilous  reproach.  From  this  feeling  it  is,  that  I  have  thus 
far  attempted  in  vain  to  establish  Bible-classes  or  secure  a  meet- 
ing for  moral  and  religious  instruction,  beyond  the  public  worship 
of  the  Sabbath  and  our  daily  evening  prayer  :  and  from  the  same 
fear  of  man  it  is  that  one  or  two  spiritually-minded  members  of 
a  church,  whom  T  have  discovered  among  the  ship's  company,  are 
unwilling  to  have  their  true  character  and  profession  known. 

The  purpose  of  those  chief  in  authority,  to  abandon  as  far  as 
practicable,  in  the  discipline  of  the  ship,  the  iron  rule,  and  in 
place  of  the  "  cats"  and  the  "  colt,"  the  kick  and  the  curse,  to 
substitute  a  treatment  less  degrading  to  man  and  more  befitting 
him  as  a  moral  agent  and  an  intelligent  being,  has  been  carried 
out.  Thus  far  the  experiment  has  been  successful ;  and  we  have 
a  cheerful,  obedient,  active  and  efiicient  crew.  We  are  also  de- 
monstrating the  fact  by  experience,  that  a  crew  can  be  content  and 
happy  without  having  served  to  them  the  ration  of  grog  furnished 
by  government.  Knowing  that  two  thirds  of  all  the  evil  and  mis- 
ery to  which  sailors,  as  a  class,  are  subject  both  at  sea  and  on 
shore,  arises  from  the  use  of  strong  drink,  I,  early  after  the  com- 
mencement of  our  cruise,  made  efforts  by  private  argument  as 
well  as  by  public  addresses,  to  demonstrate  the  magnitude  of  the 
evils  arising  from  intemperance,  and  to  persuade  all  to  follow  the 
example  of  those  who  had  stopped  drawing  rum.  In  securing 
so  desirable  an  object,  I  have  had  the  warm  support  of  those  in 
authority,  whose  opinion  and  influence  would  be  likely  to  have 
most  effect.  Commodore  McKeever  and  Captain  Mcintosh  have 
both  given  me  their  aid ;  and  the  former  has  twice  publicly 
addressed  the  ship's  company  on  the  subject.  The  consequence  is, 
we  shall  enter  port  without  the  name  of  an  individual  on  the 
grog  list ;  with  the  universal  admission  that  the  ship's  company, 
to  say  the  least,  are  as  content  and  happy  without  the  rum  as 
they  were  with  it,  and  certainly  more  quiet  and  orderly. 


GIVING   UP   GROG.  57 

In  the  course  of  my  canvass  on  the  subject,  I  had,  not  only, 
many  interesting,  but  many  amusing  conversations  and  arguments 
with  various  individuals.  Before  yielding,  there  was  a  great 
struggle  in  the  minds  of  some  half  a  dozen  old  topers — old  men- 
of-wars-men,  perfect  sea-dogs,  who,  for  half  a  century  have  drunk 
their  grog  as  regularly  as  the  roll  of  the  drum  announcing  its 
readiness  was  heard,  and  felt  that  they  could  not  live  without  it. 
I  really  pitied  some  of  these  old  fellows,  in  the  mental  struggle 
they  suffered,  between  conscience  and  a  desire  to  follow  the  ad- 
vice of  those  they  honor,  and  the  continued  craving  of  an  appe- 
tite strengthened  by  the  habit  of  a  whole  life.  I  fell  in  with  two 
of  these  one  day  immediately  after  one  of  the  addresses  of  the 
Commodore.  They  were  looking  most  doleful — as  a  true  sailor 
seldom  does  look  except  in  some  great  moral  extremity.  Sus- 
pecting the  cause,  I  opened  a  conversation  in  which  one  of  them 
met   my  persuasions  by  saying,  with   a  most   appealing   look, 

"  Why,  Mr.  S ,  I  haven't  been  without  my  grog  every  day 

for  fifty  years.  Why,  sir,  I  should  die  without  it.  I  was 
brought  up  on  it ;  my  father  kept  a  public  house,  and  I  sucked 
the  tumblers,  sir,  from  the  time  I  was  a  baby !  "  But  the  old 
man  soon  joined  the  rest  of  his  shipmates  in  the  resolution  to 
banish  the  grog  tub.  He  has  now  gone  a  long  time  without  his 
rum ;  and,  in  place  of  dying  from  the  want  of  it,  as  he  said  he 
should,  came  up  to  me  yesterday,  looking  hale  and  hearty,  and 

with  a  bright  smile  and  sparkling  eye,  said,   "  Mr.    S ,    I 

wouldn't  have  believed  it — but,  it's  true.  I  don't  miss  my 
grog  at  all.  You  told  me  I  would  live  through  it,  if  I  did  knock 
it  off.  And  so  I  have,  and  I  feel  ten  times  better  without  it 
than  I  ever  did  with  it !  " 


CHAPTER    V. 

Kio  DB  Janeieo. 

Sept.  4:th. — Land  was  descried  at  ten  o'clock,  on  the  morning 
of  tlie  1st  inst.,  and  before  noon  we  had  Cape  Frio  in  full  view, 
twenty  miles  distant.  Isolated  from  other  highlands  of  the 
coast,  it  stands  out  boldly  and  loftily  in  the  ocean ;  and,  after 
being  once  seen,  is  not  easily  to  be  mistaken  in  its  outline.  We 
were  rushing  onward,  before  a  fresh  trade- wind  beneath  a  brilliant 
sky,  at  the  rate  of  eleven  miles  the  hour ;  and  at  twelve  o'clock, 
hauling  closely  round  the  Cape  to  the  westward,  opened  a  lofty 
and  picturesque  mountain  coast  on  our  right. 

The  speed  at  which  we  were  sailing  was  in  itself  sufficient 
to  produce  great  exhilaration.  Add  to  this,  the  beauty  of  the 
sportive  sea — leaping,  foaming,  and  sparkling  around  us ;  the 
varied  and  noble  outlines  of  the  shore ;  the  objects  of  increasing 
interest  coming  hourly  in  view,  with  the  assurance  of  an  early 
termination  of  our  passage,  and  you  can  readily  imagine  that 
by  nightfall,  the  continued  excitement  became  almost  painful. 
As  darkness  began  to  gather  round  us,  the  faint  outlines  of  the 
famed  Sugar  Loaf  marking  the  entrance  to  the  harbor  of  Rio, 
were  discernible ;  and  the  first  gleamings  of  the  light  on  Rasa 
Island,  some  seven  miles  seaward  from  it,  came  cheerily  upon  the 
eye.  The  wind  still  continued  fresh,  ai^d  we  had  the  prospect  of 
entering  the  port  at  night ;  but,  just  as  we  were  attempting  to  do 
so  by  heading  into  the  channel,  the  breeze  died  suddenly  away. 


COAST    SCENE.  .  59 

and  we  dropped  anchor  on  what  is  called  the  "rolling  ground." 
The  appropriateness  of  this  name  was  fully  demonstrated  to  us 
before  morning,  by  a  depth  of  rolling  on  the  part  of  our  good 
ship  in  a  dead  calm,  which  we  had  not  before  experienced  in  the 
heaviest  weather  at  sea. 

As  for  myself,  I  was  more  than  content  to  pass  a  restless 
night  from  this  cause,  rather  than  lose  the  opportunity  of  enter- 
ing the  harbor  by  daylight.  I  was  anxious  to  test  the  fidelity 
of  the  impressions  received  twenty  years  ago  from  the  same 
scenery ;  and  to  determine  how  far  the  magnificent  picture,  still 
lingering  in  my  memory,  was  justified  by  the  reality,  or  how  far 
it  was  to  be  attributed  to  the  enthusiasm  of  younger  years  and 
the  freshness  of  less  experienced  travel.  The  early  light  of  the 
morning  quickly  determined  the  point.     I  was  hurried  to  the 

deck  by  a  message  from  Lieut.  II already  there ;  and  do  not 

recollect  ever  to  have  been  impressed  with  higher  admiration  by 
any  picture  in  still  life,  than  by  the  group  of  mountains  and  the 
coast  scene,  meeting  my  eyes  on  the  left,  as  I  ascended  the  poop. 
The  wildness  and  sublimity  of  outline  of  the  Pao  d'Assucar,  Duos 
Hermanos,  Gavia  and  Corcovado,  and  their  fantastic  combinations, 
from  the  point  at  which  we  viewed  them,  can  scarce  be  rivalled, 
while  the  richness  and  beauty  of  coloring  thrown  over  and 
around  the  whole  in  purple  and  gold,  rose  color  and  ethereal 
blue,  were  all  that  the  varied  and  glowing  tints  of  the  rising  day 
ever  impart.  No  fancy  sketch  of  fairy  land  could  surpass  this 
scene,  and  we  stood  gazing  upon  it  as  if  fascinated  by  the  work  of 
a  master  hand. 

The  pyramidal  hills  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  channel  are 
less  lofty  and  less  wild  than  these,  but  impressive  in  their  mas- 
siveness,  and  beautiful  in  the  verdure  of  various  growth  clinging 
to  their  steep  sides  and  mantling  their  summits.  Together  they 
form  a  portal  to  Rio  worthy,  not  only  the  city,  but  the  vast  and 
magnificent  empire  of  which  it  is  the  metropolis. 

There  was  full  leisure  for  the  enjoyment  of  the  scene,  for  the 
sea-breeze  did  not  set  in,  with  sufiicieut  tstrength  to  enable  us  to 


60  BRAZIL   AND    LA    PLATA. 

get  under  way,  till  after  mid-day.  In  the  mean  time  I  secured 
a  drawing,  while  a  thorough  ship-cleaning  was  going  on,  both  in- 
side and  out.  This  was  so  satisfactorily  accomplished  by  four 
hundred  busy  hands,  before  the  breeze  would  allow  of  taking  our 
anchor,  that,  with  the  crew  freshly  dressed  in  a  uniform  of  white 
and  new  summer  hats,  we  looked,  on  taking  our  position  among 
the  men-of-war  at  anchor,  more  like  a  ship  on  a  gala-day  in  port, 
than  one  just  arrived  from  sea. 

The  width  of  the  entrance  is  a  mile,  though  the  loftiness  of 
the  granite  shafts  by  which  it  is  formed,  gives  the  impression  of 
its  being  much  narrower.  The  Sugar  Loaf  on  the  left — the  naked 
peak  of  a  mountain  of  rock  whose  broad  base  lies  far  below  in 
the  great  deep — rises,  with  a  slight  leaning  westward,  to  an  eleva- 
tion of  twelve  hundred  and  ninety-two  feet  according  to  the 
measurement  of  Captain  Beechy.  The  corresponding  mass  on 
the  eastern  side,  less  isolated  and  more  rounded,  is  six  or 
seven  hundred  only.  At  the  base  of  this,  upon  a  tongue  of  rock 
projecting  into  the  channel,  is  the  strong  and  massively  built  for- 
tress of  Santa  Cruz,  against  whose  Cyclopean  foundations  the 
swell  from  the  open  sea  beats  heavily.  Its  white  walls  and 
embattled  parapets,  pharos  lantern  and  telegraph  fixtures,  with  the 
imperial  flag  of  green  and  gold  flaunting  in  the  breeze,  are  the 
first  features  of  civilization  meeting  the  eye :  all  else  along  the 
coast  looks  as  primitive  and  untamed  as  on  the  day  it  was  first 
discovered. 

From  the  point  at  which  we  were  at  anchor,  little  within  the 
harbor  could  be  seen :  a  small  fortified  islet  or'  two,  the  tall 
masts  of  the  shipping  at  the  man-of-war  anchorage,  distant  five 
miles,  and  the  faint  outlines  of  the  Organ  mountains  in  the  far 
north.  But  on  passing  the  Sugar  Loaf  and  fort  the  bay  opens, 
and  the  extent  and  magnificence  of  its  leading  features  are 
rapidly  disclosed.  The  mountain  group,  which  so  impressed  us 
in  the  morning  and  seemed  to  belong  exclusively  to  the  outside,  is 
found  to  constitute  in  new  aspects  and  relative  positions,  the 
grand  outline  of  the  western  side  within* 


BAY   OF   KIO.  61 

To  these  aspects  of  nature  there  was  soon  added  the  charm  of 
art.  Long  lines  of  imposing  edifices  edge  the  shores;  white 
cottages  and  villas  sprinkle  the  hill-sides  and  crest  the  mountain 
ridges  ;  while  church  steeples  and  convent  towers  and  the  thick- 
ened masses  of  building  in  the  city  gradually  rise  to  view. 

As  our  ship  moved  gently  onward  the  effect  was  like  the  un- 
folding of  a  panoramic  picture.  First  came  the  land-locked  bay 
of  Botafogo,  backed  and  overhung  by  the  lofty  peaks  of  the  Her- 
manos  and  Gravia — its  circular  shores  and  sweeping  sand-beach 
being  embellished  with  a  palace-like  hospital  and  numerous 
suburban  residences  of  the  aristocratic  and  wealthy.  Then  the 
green  and  picturesque  valley  of  the  Larangeiras,  with  cottages 
hanging  like  birds'  nests  on  its  hill-sides,  beneath  the  wooded  clifi"s 
and  naked  summit  of  the  Corcovado ;  followed  quickly  by  the 
bay  of  Flamengo,  the  Gloria  hill,  the  hills  of  Santa  Theresa  and 
San  Antonio  crowned  by  their  convents,  Castle  hill  with  its 
Capuchin  monastery  and  old  bastions,  the  hill  of  San  Bento, 
and  the  entire  city  overtopped  by  the  mountainous  range  and 
bell-shaped  peak  of  Tejuca^ 

While  these  objects  on  the  left  successively  absorb  the  atten- 
tion, on  the  right  a  precipitous  range  of  granite  hills,  extending 
two  or  three  miles  northward  from  the  fortress  of  Santa  Cruz, 
falls  sheer  into  the  water  like  the  Highlands  of  the  Hudson.  It 
terminates  in  a  bold  promontory  which  divides  a  deep,  circular 
inlet,  called  the  bay  of  St.  Francis  Xavier,  from  the  chief  harbor, 
and  which  from  some  points  of  view  is  strikingly  in  the  form  of  a 
colossal  lion  couchant,  with  the  head  settled  backward  in  stateli- 
ness  upon  the  shoulders.  At  the  further  distance  of  a  mile  a 
picturesque  cliff-bound  little  islet— evidently  once  a  part  of  the 
adjoining  mainland — marks  the  northern  entrance  to  this  inner 
bay.  Surmounted  by  a  white  chapel  facing  the  sea,  dedicated  to 
"our  Lady  of  good  voyages,"  the  special  patroness  of  the  sailor, 
it  is  a  conspicuous  and  interesting  feature  in  the  topography,  the 
first  and  the  last  upon  which  the  ignorant  and  superstitious  among 
voyagers  and  seafaring  men,  have  long  been  accustomed  to  fix 


62  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

their  eyes  on  entering  and  on  leaving  port.  Beyond  this,  upon  a 
widely  sweeping  beach,  stretch-  the  populous  rural  suburbs  of 
Pray  a  Domingo  and  Praya  Grrande,  immediately  facing  the  city. 
These  terminate  in  a  lofty  rounded  hill,  partly  under  cultivation 
and  partly  in  wood,  which  cuts  off  all  further  view  northward, 
except  clusters  of  islands  on  the  distant  waters,  and  the  far-off 
mountains  rising  six  thousand  feet  against  the  sky.  The  whole 
was  seen  by  us  under  the  strong  lights  and  shades  of  the  after- 
noon, as  with  a  light  sea-breeze  we  floated  gently  up  and  dropped 
anchor  abreast  the  city,  midway  from  either  shore.  A  cluster  of 
men-of-war  were  moored  inside  of  us,  from  whose  mast-heads 
floated  the  national  flags  of  England,  Portugal  and  Brazil,  but 
none  bearing  the  stripes  and  stars  of  the  United  States. 

Towards  night  the  coloring  thrown  over  mountains  and  val- 
leys, city  and  bay,  was  most  gorgeous.  A  light  haze,  like  that  of 
Indian  summer  at  home,  characterized  the  atmosphere ;  through 
this-  the  sun  shone  in  fiery  redness,  empurpling  the  mountains, 
gilding  dome  and  steeple  and  convent  tower,  and  spreading  a 
crimson  glow  over  the  entire  bay.  I  have  been  thus  minute  in 
the  description  of  the  panorama  surrounding  us,  because  these 
winding  shores  and  curving  beaches,  these  verdant  hills  and 
towering  mountains,  are  for  many  months  in  two  or  three  suc- 
cessive years,  to  be  the  objects  of  hourly  observation  and  the 
haunts  of  my  daily  rambles.  The  Sugar  Loaf  and  the  Corcovado, 
the  Gavia  and  the  Peak  of  Tejuca,  Gloria  hill,  Botafogo,  Praya 
Grande  and  the  Organ  mountains,  will  become  in  my  communica- 
tions to  you,  familiar  as  household  words. 

Admiration  of  the  natural  scenery  was  not  the  only  feeling 
of  which  I  was  conscious,  in  advancing  up  the  harbor.  Bemem- 
brances  of  the  past  came  unbidden  to  my  mind  and  heart.  With 
the  first  opening  view  of  the  Praya  Flamengo,  I  was  quick  in 
my  search  with  a  glass  among  its  mansions,  for  the  dwelling  which 
during  my  former  visit  had  been  to  me  a  happy  home.  It  was 
easily  distinguished  in  its  unchanged  exterior.     But  where  was 


KEMINISCENCE    OF    THE    PAST.  63 

the  brilliant  and  accomplished  diplomatist,  whose  genial  spirit 
and  polished  mind  gave  such  charm  to  its  hospitalities  ?  Long  a 
tenant  of  the  tomb  !  and  I  could  not  but  recall  the  fact,  that,  with 
him,  every  one  whose  acquaintance  I  had  here  made — an  acquaint- 
anceship which,  in  some  instances,  from  after  intercourse,  ripened 
into  mature  friendship — was  also  in  the  world  of  spirits  :  Tudor, 
Otway,  Inglefield  and  Walsh,  all  gone.  A  generation  had  well- 
nigh  passed  away ;  and  all  was  changed.  A  new  Emperor  was  on 
the  throne — a  new  Bishop  over  the  see  :  there  was  no  one  to  meet, 
and  no  one  to  look  upon,  whom  I  had  ever  seen  before. 

It  was  the  predominance  of  feelings  such  as  these  that  led,  in 
my  first  visit  on  shore,  to  a  solitary  pilgrimage  to  the  former 
Embassy,  to  look  once  more  upon  its  familiar  portal — now  in  pos- 
session of  strangers, — and  on  my  return  at  eventide  through  the 
embowered  pathways  of  the  Grloria  hill,  to  think  what  a  dream  is 
life,  and  how  vain  as  an  abiding  good,  the  highest  attainments  and 
most  honored  positions  gained  by  man  on  earth. 

September  6th. — Rio  de  Janeiro,  if  not  built  like  Rome  on 
seven  hills,  can  boast  an  equal  number  around  the  bases  of  which 
her  streets  and  dwellings  closely  cluster.  The  bright  verdure  of 
these — in  tufted  groves  and  shrubbery  and  in  gleaming  turf — as 
they  rise  abruptly  here  and  there,  from  one  to  two  hundred  feet 
above  the  red-tiled  penthouse  roofs  of  the  dwellings  and  the  som- 
bre turret  and  towers  of  church  and  convent,  adds  greatly  to  the 
beauty  of  the  city,  whether  seen  from  shipboard,  or  in  vistas  at 
the  end  of  the  streets,  on  shore.  One  of  the  most  conspicuous  and 
lofty  is  Castle  hill,  so  called  from  being  surmounted  at  one  of  its 
angles,  by  the  ramparts  and  dismantled  batteries  of  a  small  fort, 
erected  by  the  first  colonists.  It  is  also  called  by  foreigners. 
Signal  hill — from  being  the  telegraphic  station  to  which  the  move- 
ments of  all  shipping  in  the  ofiing  is  made  known,  by  signals 
from  other  stations  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbor  and  along  the 
coast.  Besides  the  ruin  of  the  ancient  fortress  and  the  fixtures 
of  the  telegraph,  it  is  conspicuously  marked  by  the  double-pin- 
nacled church  of  a  former  Capuchin  monastery,  and  by  the  old 


64  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

college  of  the  Jesuits,  both  now  converted  to  the  use  of  the 
public — the  one  as  a  military  hospital,  and  the  other  a  medical 
school.  The  hill  juts  so  closely  on  the  bay  as  to  interrupt,  for  a 
half  a  mile,  the  line  of  the  city  along  the  water,  and  to  leave 
room  only  for  a  single  street.  This  is  not  built  upon,  but  being 
open  to  the  sea-breeze  and  commanding  a  fine  water  view,  is  much 
frequented  as  a  drive  and  promenade  in  the  afternoon  and  eve- 
ning. Inland  from  Castle  hill,  and  separated  from  it  by  what 
was  once  a  deep  glen,  but  now  a  densely  inhabited  part  of  the 
city,  rises  the  hill  of  San  Antonio,  so  called  from  being  the  posses- 
sion of  a  brotherhood  of  that  name,  whose  convent  stands  in  mas- 
sive dimensions  on  its  brow.  These  hills  occupy  the  centre  of 
the  city,  while  that  of  San  Bento,  also  crowned  by  a  stately  con- 
vent ;  that  known  as  the  Bishop's  hill,  from  being  surmounted  by 
the  Episcopal  palace ;  and  the  hill  of  Lavradio,  are  on  its  northern 
side.  The  hills  of  Santa  Theresa  and  Grloria,  thus  named — the 
one  from  a  nunnery,  and  the  other  from  a  church  dedicated 
to  our  Lady  of  G-lory,  are  on  the  south.  All  originally  rose 
from  and  encircled  a  marsh,  the  site  of  the  present  metropolis. 
Till  within  the  last  half  century,  the  whole  city  then  containing 
only  some  thirty  thousand  inhabitants,  lay  between  Castle  hill 
and  the  hill  of  San  Bento,  a  distance  of  less  than  a  half  mile  as 
a  water  front,  in  a  parallelogram  of  rectangular  streets  extending 
about  as  far  inland.  This  section  is  still  regular ;  but  in  most 
others  since  built,  the  streets  follow  the  curvature  of  the  hills  at 
their  bases,  and  straggle  from  these,  in  every  direction,  up  the 
ravines  intervening  between  the  spurs  running  from  the  mountains 
to  the  plain.  The  streets  in  general  are  narrow,  and  roughly 
paved  with  cobble-stones :  the  sidewalks  being  comfortable  for 
two  persons  only  abreast.  The  population  is  now  about  200,000 
— ^including  the  suburbs  which  are  very  extensive,  and  reach  south 
some  five  miles  and  nearly  the  same  distance  west;  while  Pray  a 
Domingo  and  Praya  Grrande,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  bay,  form 
quite  a  town  in  themselves. 

The  general  climate  of  Brazil  from  its  great  equality  has  been 


THE    YELLOW    FEVER.  65 

regarded  as  one  of  the  most  salubrious  and  healthful  of  the  tropical 
regions  of  the  world.  Before  the  Congress  left  the  United 
States,  however,  it  was  known  that  within  the  last  year  the  yel- 
low fever  had  made  its  appearance  along  the  seaboard,  and  had 
raged  with  great  mortality  in  the  principal  cities ;  especially  in 
Pernambuco,  Bahia,  and  Bio  de  Janeiro.  We  were  uncertain 
what  the  state  of  health  might  be  on  our  arrival ;  and  were  thank- 
ful to  learn,  by  the  first  boat  boarding  us,  that  the  epidemic 
had  ceased,  after  frightful  ravages  among  natives  and  foreigners, 
both  afloat  and  on  shore.  The  business  of  the  port  was  almost 
suspended  by  its  virulence  for  six  or  eight  months ;  the  citizens 
in  great  numbers  having  fled  to  the  country,  while  the  shipping  put 
to  sea.  The  general  health  is  now  good,  public  confidence  is 
restored,  and  the  inhabitants  have  returned  to  their  shops  and 
dwellings. 

The  origin  of  the  pestilence  is  a  mooted  point  here,  among  me- 
dical men  of  the  most  distinguished  talent  and  experience.  Some 
contend  that  it  was  imported  from  Africa  by  slave  ships; 
others  that  it  was  introduced  at  Pernambuco  in  a  ship  from  New 
Orleans ;  and  others  again  believe  it  to  be  of  domestic  genera- 
tion, connected  with  atmospherical  phenomena,  thus  far  inscru- 
table to  the  observations  of  man.  This  last  opinion  is  sup- 
ported by  changes  of  a  meteorological  character  universally  ac- 
knowledged :  one  the  interruption,  amounting  almost  to  an  entire 
cessation,, of  thunder-storms  in  the  afternoons,  formerly  of  such 
regular  daily  occurrence,  that  appointments  for  business  or 
pleasure  were  made  in  reference  to  them,  as  to  taking  place 
"  before  "  or  "  after  the  shower."  It  is  a  fact  also  attested  by 
medical  men,  that  of  late  years,  marked  modifications  for  the 
worse  have  been  observed  in  the  types  of  fever  prevalent,  till 
their  malignancy  reached  the  climax  just  experienced.  There 
was,  too,  at  the  commencement  and  during  the  continuation  of  the 
pestilence,  a  stagnation  and  want  of  elasticity  in  the  atmosphere, 
from  the  cessation  to  a  great  degree  of  the  fresh  and  regular 
winds  from  the  sea,  very  perceptible  and  very  oppressive :    all 


66  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

confirmatory  of  tlie  belief  that  the  sickness  was  atmospheric  and 
indigenous.  History  and  tradition  are  also  brought  to  support 
this  supposition ;  nearly  a  century  ago,  a  similar  pestilence  is  said 
to  have  prevailed  in  Kio,  with  the  same  devastating  effect ;  and 
records  of  the  years  1666,  1686,  and  1694,  hear  testimony  to 
visitations  of  a  like  kind.  There  is  reason  therefore  to  hope  that 
the  scourge  will  disappear  as  it  has  done  before,  and  not  become 
annual  and  endemic  as  in  the  West  Indies. 

The  weather  now  is  as  delightful  as  can  be  imagined,  with  a 
clearness  and  brilliancy  of  atmosphere  like  that  on  the  Hudson 
in  the  month  of  June,  throwing  an  enchantment  around  the 
scenery  of  the  bay  perfectly  irresistible. 

September  10th.  The  first  two  or  three  days  after  our  arrival 
were  marked  chiefly  by  an  interchange  of  visits  of  ceremony, 
between  the  officers  chief  in  command  of  the  foreign  squadrons 
near  us  and  our  ship;  accompanied  by  a  succession  of  salutes 
deafening  to  the  ears,  filling  the  pure  atmosphere  of  the  heavens 
with  smoke  and  sulphur,  and  awakening  in  tones  of  thunder  the 
ten  thousand  echoes  of  the  adjoining  mountains.  In  no  harbor 
in  the  world,  perhaps,  is  more  powder  wasted  in  the  course  of  a 
year  than  in  this.  There  seems  ever  to  be  among  the  Brazilians 
some  new  occasion  for  a  salute.  On  the  day  of  our  arrival,  in 
the  course  of  a  half  hour  the  Congress  alone  fired  eighty 
heavily  charged  thirty-four  pounders  :  all  of  which  were  answered 
in  the  same  space  of  time,  gun  for  gun.  Two  of  the  intervening 
days  since  have  been  fete  days  on  shore,  calling  for  three  separate 
salutes — morning,  noon,  and  night — of  twenty-one  guns  from  all 
the  forts  and  Brazilian  men-of-war  in  the  harbor,  and  at  mid-day 
a  general  one  of  the  same  number,  from  all  the  flag-ships  of  the 
foreign  squadrons.  A  commutation  for  the  powder  thus  annually 
wasted,  would  be  a  princely  income  for  any  one  securing  it. 

These  observances  of  etiquette  afloat  well  through  with, 
Commodore  McKeever  invited   me   yesterday  morning  to    join 

him,  Captain  Mcintosh  and  Lieut  T ,  in  visits  on  shore  to 

the  American  Ambassador,  and  others  of  our  countrymen  in  offi- 


EQUIPAGES.  67 

cial  positions,  and  to  Mr.  H ,  a  leading  English  merchant,  who 

had  called  on  board  the  Congress  early  after  our  arrival.  In 
1829,  and  till  within  a  year  or  two  past,  the  principal  landing 
was  in  the  centre  of  the  city  upon  an  inclined  plane  of  solid 
masonry,  descending  into  the  water  so  as  to  he  accessible  by 
boats  at  any  state  of  the  tide ;  this  conducted  to  a  fine  mole  of 
granite,  parapetted  with  stone,  and  forming  one  side  of  the 
palace  square.  Against  the  flush  wall  of  this  mole  the  water  rose 
high,  carrying  off  into  the  current,  in  its  reflow,  the  offensive 
matter,  which  in  want  of  sewers  is  cast  along  the  shores  of  the 
city  at  night.  An  extension  of  the  square  on  the  bay  is  now  in 
progress,  however,  by  the  driving  of  piles  and  filling  in  with 
earth  and  rubbish ;  and  the  landing  is  at  a  temporary  stairs  and 
platform  of  wood,  at  an  adjoining  point,  in  the  midst  of  outpourings 
of  filth  disgusting  to  the  senses,  and  making  impressions  on  the 
stranger  most  unfavorable  as  to  the  purity  and  civilization  of  the 
imperial  city.  A  carriage  had  been  ordered  for  us  here,  and  in 
its  style  and  appointments  we  had  evidence,  at  once,  of  the  im- 
provement in  equipages  which  has  been  made  since  my  last  visit. 
Then,  the  old-fashioned  Portugese  Calesa,  or  chaise,  and  a  clumsy 
close-carriage  on  leathern  braces,  of  a  similar  style  and  date,  were 
universally  in  use.  I  do  not  recollect  to  have  seen  vehicles  of 
any  other  kind,  except  the  imperial  carriages  and  those  of  the 
British  Ambassador.  Now,  although  the  Calesa  is  still  fre- 
quently met,  and  occasionally  its  con-frere  in  antiquity,  the  low 
open  four-wheeled  carriage  of  the  fashion  and  finish  of  those 
most  modern  in  New  York,  London  and  Paris,  and  equal  to  them 
in  all  their  appointments,  is  in  general  use.  Besides  many  livery 
stables  at  which  these  may  be  found,  stands  of  them  occupy  the 
Palace  Square  and  other  public  points  at  all  hours  of  the  day. 
Twenty  years  ago,  mules  only  were  driven,  except  in  the 
instances  above  mentioned ;  but,  now,  fine  showy  horses  are  as 
often  seen  in  the  turn-out.  The  carriage  we  entered  was  drawn 
by  a  pair  of  spirited,  sleek,  long-tailed  blacks.  The  coachman  in 
a  livery  of  sky-blue  and  silver,  made  aware,  by  the  broad  pennant 


68  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

of  the  many-oared  barge  in  which  we  came  on  shore,  and  by  the 
lace  and  epaulettes  of  my  companions,  of  the  rank  of  some  of  the 
party,  dashed  off  with  a  flourish  of  whip  and  a  prancing  of  his 
beasts  that  won  the  admiration  of  the  bystanders.  He  kept 
for  the  whole  morning  a  Jehu  speed  characteristic  of  the  manner 
of  driving  here ;  and  significant,  it  would  seem,  by  its  accelerated 
rapidity,  of  the  degree  of  rank  of  those  it  hurries  along,  from  the 
Emperor  down. 

The  route  we  took,  is  one  of  the  finest  the  city  and  its  envi- 
rons afford,  leading  three  or  four  miles  southward,  immediately 
along  the  bay,  by  a  continuous  street  bearing  different  names 
in  different  sections,  to  Botafogo,  the  most  beautiful  of  the  sub- 
urbs. The  green  and  palm-tufted  hills  overhanging  the  way 
inland;  the  luxuriant  little  valleys  receding,  here  and  there, 
from  it,  and  terminating  in  wild  and  inaccessible  ravines ;  the 
flower  gardens  and  shrubberies,  encircling  the  better  residences, 
with  beauty  in  endless  forms,  and  the  perfume  of  everlasting 
spring ;  the  gay  coloring,  novel,  and  in  some  instances  fantastic 
architecture  of  the  houses;  the  vases  and  statuary  and  statuettes 
around  and  surmounting  them ;  and  the  stately  and  ornamental 
gateways,  opening  into  fine  avenues  of  old  trees  terminating  in 
embowered  perspective  at  inviting  residences  remote  from  the 
road,  with  magnificent  views  at  one  point  and  another  of  the 
mountains  on  the  one  side  and  of  the  bay  on  the  other,  made 
the  drive  both  in  going  and  returning  inspiriting  and  delightful. 

Botafogo  itself  is  a  gem  of  beauty :  a  seeming  lake,  three  or 
four  miles  in  circumference.  The  one  half  is  as  untamed  and 
wild  as  granite-bound  shores  bristling  into  mountains  can  make 
it ;  the  other,  a  semicircular  beach  of  white  sand  overhung  with 
trees,  and  lined  by  a  succession  of  fine  residences.  From  the 
curving  street  on  which  these  stand  others  run  westward,  forming 
a  village-like  settlement.     On  one  of  them  we  found  the  mansion 

of  Mr.  H ,  a  spacious  establishment  with  an  air  of  aristocratic 

elegance  approaching  magnificence.  Besides  the  lofty  entrance 
hall  and  stately  drawing-room  into  which  we  were  ushered,  there 


A    TROPICAL    HOME.  69 

were  glimpses  through  different  vistas  of  a  fine  library,  a  music 
room,  dining  hall  and  billiard  room  of  proportionate  dimensions 
and  appropriate  appointments.  Situated  immediately  beneath  the 
pyramidal  shaft  of  the  Corcovado,  with  a  view  of  other  mountain 
peaks,  the  waters  of  Botafogo  at  near  access  on  one  side,  and 
those  of  the  oceaif  not  far  distant  on  the  other,  and  bloom  and 
blossom  on  every  hand — the  rustling  banana  around  and  the 
plumed  palm  above — the  whole  presented  a  tempting  picture  of  a 
home  in  the  tropics.  , 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  before  we  again  reached  the  city. 
On  inquiring  the  charge  for  the  carriage  for  the  four  hours  we 
had  it  in  use,  I  was  rather  surprised,  notwithstanding  the  large 
number  "  eight  thousand,"  that  met  the  ear  in  answer,  that  the 
whole  was  only  four  Spanish  dollars,  the  thousand  being  reis,  Sb 
nominal  term  in  the  currency  of  the  country,  one  thousand  of 
which  constitute  a  mille-reis,  a  silver  coin  of  the  size  and  about 
the  value  of  an  American  half  dollar. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

ElO  DE  Janeieo. 

Septemher  12th. — On  returning  from  the  drive  of  Monday,  I 
did  not  accompany  the  party  to  the  ship,  but  gave  the  remainder 
of  the  afternoon  to  a  stroll  in  the  city.  Its  two  principal  and 
most  attractive  streets  are  the  Rua  Direita  and  Rua  Ouvidor.  The 
first  runs  north  and  south,  parallel  with  the  water,  forming  in  its 
course  the  western  side  of  the  Palace  Square ;  the  other  is  at 
right  angles  with  this,  running  east  and  west  from  a  point  near 
the  square.  A  central  section  of  the  Direita  is  quite  wide,  and 
beside  the  palace  contains  the  imperial  chapel  adjoining  it,  the 
Church  of  the  Carmelites,  used  as  a  Cathedral,  and  that  of  the 
Holy  Cross :  in  it  also  are  the  Custom  House  and  Exchange,  the 
Post  Office  and  Commercial  Reading-rooms,  and  the  offices  of 
the  principal  brokers  and  money-changers.  It  is  in  fact  the 
Lombard-street  and  the  Wall-street  of  Rio ;  while  the  Ouvi- 
dor, a  mile  in  length,  filled  from  end  to  end  with  shops  of 
all  kinds — fancy  goods  and  millinery,  prints  and  pictures,  jewelry, 
articles  of  vertu  and  bijouterie — is  its  Bond-street  and  its 
Broadway. 

The  Rua  Ouvidor  terminates  in  a  small  open  square,  having 
on  one  side  the  fine  fagade  of  the  church  of  St.  Francisco  de  Paulo, 
and  on  another  a  more  modern  and  well  built  structure,  in  Gre- 
cian architecture,  used  as  a  military  school.  A  short  street  leads 
from  this  into  a  larger  square  diagonal  to  it,  called  the  Roseio,  in 


FIRST   IMPRESSIONS   IN    RIO.  71 

which  is  the  Opera  House  ;  and  a  quarter  of  a  mile  further  west 
lies  the  grand  square  of  the  Campo  D'Acclamacao,  so  named  from 
the  proclamation  in  it  of  the  independence  of  Brazil  in  1822. 
My  walk  extended  to  this.  It  is  a  rectangular  common  of  large 
extent,  but  partially  built  upon,  and  is  distinguished  by  some  fine 
public  edifices.  On  the  side  next  the  city  are  the  Treasury,  the 
Museum  and  the  Courts  of  Justice ;  on  that  opposite,  the  Senate 
Chamber  of  the  Imperial  Legislature  ;  and  on  a  third,  a  long  line 
of  Barracks.  Koads  and  foot-paths  cross  it  irregularly  in  vari- 
ous directions;  but,  ungraded  and  unplanted,  it  offers  little 
attraction  to  the  eye,  being  covered  with  coarse  grass  and  weeds, 
mud-puddles  and  rubbish.  Though  thus  neglected  and  shabby 
in  itself,  the  views  from  it  of  the  encircling  hills  and  more  dis- 
tant mountains  are  full  of  freshness  and  beauty. 

The  Senate  Chamber,  a  large  square  building  of  stone,  is 
without  architectural  beauty  or  ornament.  Originally  the  pri- 
vate residence  of  a  governor  of  Bahia,  when  in  the  metropolis, 
it  was  sold  by  him  to  the  government  for  its  present  uses.  In  it, 
in  1829,  I  witnessed  the  opening  of  the  Imperial  Legislature  by 
Don  Pedro  I. ;  and  learning  incidentally  this  morning  when  on 
shore,  that  the  same  body  was  to  be  prorogued  to-day  by  the 
present  Emperor,  I  turned  my  steps  again  in  that  direction  : 
partly  for  the  accomplishment  of  my  purpose  of  a  walk,  and  part- 
ly for  such  observation  as  I  might  secure  as  an  outside  spectator. 
It  was  too  late  to  seek  a  ticket  of  admission  to  the  house,  at  the 
Embassy  or  elsewhere,  and  the  Brazilian  who  gave  me  informa- 
tion of  the  ceremony,  thought  I  could  not  without  one  gain  ad- 
mittance to  the  interior,  in  the  ordinary  morning  dress  I  wore. 
There  would,  however,  it  was  probable,  be  a  gathering  of  the 
populace  to  the  scene;  and  with  an  opportunity  of  the  study 
this  might  afford,  I  was  content.  It  is  the  remark  of  a  biog- 
rapher of  the  brothers  Humboldt,  I  think,  that,  "  however  fertile 
nature  may  be,  man  is  always  its  most  interesting  and  its  most 
important  feature  ;  "  and,  after  the  almost  exclusive  observation 
of  inanimate  objects,  from  their  surpassing  magnificenc  ;  for  a  week 


72  BRAZIL    AND    LA   PLATA. 

and  more,  I  felt  doubly  inclined  to  avail  myself  of  the  chance 
of  scrutinizing  my  fellows  in  new  aspects  of  life. 

The  first  impression  made  on  an  intelligent  stranger  on  land- 
ing at  Rio  would,  probably,  arise  from  the  numbers,  evident  dif- 
ference in  condition,  the  variety  of  employments,  dress  and  un- 
dress, almost  to  nakedness,  of  the  negro  and  «lave  population. 
Such  figures,  such  groupings,  such  costumes,  as  are  exhibited  by 
these  on  every  side,  it  would  be  difficult  to  picture  or  describe : 
the  rapid  lope  and  monotonous  grunt  of  the  coffee-bag  carriers, 
their  naked  bodies  reeking  with  oily  sweat;  the  jingling  and 
drumming  of  the  tin  rattles  or  gourds  borne  by  the  leaders  of 
gangs,  transporting  on  their  heads  all  manner  of  articles — chairs, 
tables,  sofas  and  bedsteads,  the  entire  furniture  of  a  household ; 
the  dull  recitative,  followed  by  the  loud  chorus,  with  which  they 
move  along ;  ther  laborious  cry  of  others,  tugging  and  hauling 
and  pushing  over  the  rough  pavements  heavily  laden  trucks  and 
carts,  an  overload  for  an  equal  number  of  mules  or  horses,  all 
crowd  on  the  observation.  Others,  both  male  and  female,  more 
favored  in  their  occupation,  are  seen  as  pedlers,  carrying  in  the 
same  manner,  trunks  and  boxes  of  tin,  containing  various  mer- 
chandise;  glass  cases  filled  with  fancy  articles  and  jewelry; 
trays  with  cakes  and  confectionery ;  and  baskets  with  fruit, 
flowers  and  birds.  And  yet  again  others  of  the  same  color  and 
race,  more  fortunate  still,  in  being  free — the  street-vender,  the 
mechanic,  the  tradesman,  the  soldier;  the  merchant  with  the 
dress  and  manner  of  a  gentleman ;  the  officer  in  uniform  and  the 
priest  in  his  frock ;  all  by  their  contrasts  filling  the  mind  with 
speculation  and  opening  channels  for  thought. 

An  impression  which  would  follow  this  first  one,  in  quick  suc- 
cession, would  be  derived  from  the  fearfully  mongrel  aspect  of 
much  of  the  population,  claiming  to  be  white.  Mulattoes,  quad- 
roons, and  demi-quadroons,  and  every  other  degree  of  tinted 
complexion  and  crisped  hair,  met,  at  every  turn,  indicate  an  al- 
most unlimited  extent  of  mixed  blood.  This  cannot  fail  to  be 
revolting,  at  least  to  a  visitor  from  the  Northern  States  of  our 


MIXTUBE    OF    RACES.  73 

country ;  especially  as  exhibited  in  the  female  portion  of  the 
lower  orders  of  the  community,  as  they  hang  over  the  under  half 
of  the  doors  of  their  houses,  gazing  up  and  down  the  street,  or 
lean — black,  white,  and  gray,  three  and  four  together,  in  the 
closest  juxtaposition  from  their  latticed  windows. 

A  striking  exliibition  of  this  incongruous  mingling  of  races 
and  mixture  of  blood,  was  presented  in  the  first  object  upon  which 
my  eye  fell,  on  entering  the  Campo  D'Acclamacao  on  my  way 
to  the  Senate  Chamber.  A  squadron  of  dragoons  in  a  scarlet 
uniform,  had  just  been  placed  in  line  on  one  side  of  the  square. 
A  mounted  band  in  Hussar  dress  of  the  same  color  was  in  at- 
tendance. I  took  a  station  for  a  moment  near  this.  It  was 
composed  of  sixteen  performers ;  and  in  the  number  included 
every  shade  of  complexion,  from  the  blackest  ebony  of  Africa, 
through  demi,  quarter,  and  demi-quarter  blood  to  the  purely 
swarthy  Portuguese  and  Brazilian,  and  the  clear  red  and  white 
of  the  Saxon,  with  blue  eyes  and  flaxen  hair.  Such,  in  a  greater 
or  less  degree,  is  the  mixture  seen  in  every  sphere  of  common 
life — domestic,  social,  civil  and  military;  and  scarce  less  fre- 
quently than  elsewhere,  in  the  vestibule  of  the  palace  and  at  the 
altars  of  the  church. 

With  the  exception  of  this  body  of  horse-guards  and  its  band, 
there  was  but  little  indication  in  the  square  of  the  approaching 
spectacle.  Two  or  three  hundred  idlers  only,  in  addition  to  the 
ordinary  movements  on  the  common,  were  seen  loitering  about. 
Those  who  had  begun  to  assemble,  however,  were  in  clean  and 
holiday  garb.  The  Senate  Hall,  which  last  evening  looked 
deserted  and  shabby  enough  in  its  exterior,  appeared  now  in  gala 
dress.  All  the  lofty  windows  above  and  below,  were  decorated 
on  the  outside  with  hangings  of  crimson  silk ;  and  the  doors, 
thrown  wide  open,  were  screened  by  draperies  of  green  cloth, 
embroidered  in  the  centre  with  the  imperial  arms  in  colors.  A 
body-guard  of  Halberdiers,  in  liveries  of  green  and  gold,  stood  in 
groups  about  the  entrance — their  lofty  spears,  surmounted  with 
glittering  battle-axes,  being  at  rest  near  at  hand. 
4 


74  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

Numbers  of  well-dressed  citizens  began  to  arrive  and  enter  the 
building  by  a  side  door.  Perceiving  among  them  one  and  another 
in  costumes  not  differing  much  from  my  own,  I  made  bold  to  follow, 
leaving  it  for  the  door-keepers  to  question  my  right  of  admission. 
I  knew  not  where  I  might  be  led,  and  after  a  long  ascent  by  a 
dark,  circular  staircase,  very  unexpectedly  found  myself  in  an 
open  gallery  in  the  middle  front  of  the  hall,  in  a  line  with  the 
diplomatic  tribune  on  one  side,  and  that  appropriated  to  the 
Empress  and  her  ladies  on  such  occasions,  on  the  other.  All  the 
best  places  in  this  gallery  were  already  filled.  As  I  was  looking 
about  for  a  choice  in  such  as  remained  unoccupied,  a  Brazilian 
gentleman,  recognizing  me  as  a  stranger,  though  there  was  nothing 
in  my  dress  to  indicate  either  my  nation  or  profession,  immediately 
approached  and  insisted  on  relinquishing  to  me  his  seat.  It  was 
in  vain  that  I  objected  to  dispossessing  him,  till,  overcome  by  his 
courteous  manners  and  unyielding  purpose  of  civility,  I  bowed 
my  way  into  it.  The  point  of  view  was  one  of  the  best  in  the 
house,  being  immediately  in  front  of  the  throne  and  the  chairs 
at  its  foot,  for  the  ministers  and  chief  officers  of  the  household. 
Besides  the  whole  interior,  it  commanded  also,  through  a  large 
open  window,  the  avenue,  by  which  the  imperial  cortege  would 
make  its  approach  in  state  from  San  Christovao,  the  country 
palace,  three  or  four  miles  west  of  the  city. 

The  Chamber  has  been  remodelled  since  1829.  Instead  of 
being  oblong  as  then,  it  is  now  semicircular,  like  the  Senate 
Chamber  at  Washington.  The  canopy  and  hangings  of  the  throne 
and  the  draperies  of  the  windows,  are  of  velvet  and  silk  in  green 
and  gold,  the  national  colors. 

The  members  of  both  Houses  began  soon  to  enter ;  many  in 
magnificent  attire — naval  and  military  uniforms  stiff  with  embroi- 
deries of  gold,  various  court-dresses  and  priestly  robes — ^and 
many  in  a  full  dress  of  black  alone,  with  an  abundance  of  glitter- 
ing stars  and  crosses,  and  the  broad  ribbons  of  different  orders. 
In  the  number  were  many  men  of  mark,  not  only  in  name  and 
title,  but  in  talent  and  popular  influence.     There  was  no  friend 


IMPERIAL   LEGISLATURE.  75 

near  me,  however,  as  on  tTie  former  occasion,  to  point  them  out 
individually ;  and  I  had  only  the  unsatisfactory  assurance,  from 
the  circumstances  of  the  case,  of  seeing  before  me  not  only  the 
ministers  of  state  and  other  officers  of  the  government,  hut  the 
leading  politicians  and  ecclesiastics  of  the  empire.  Among  them 
were  many  heads  and  countenances  indicative  of  talent  and  un- 
mistakable intellect,  with  a  refinement  and  di^!;nity  of  bearing 
that  gave  a  most  favorable  impression  of  the  whole  as  a  legis- 
lative body. 

You  are  aware  that  the  government  of  Brazil  is  a  constitu- 
tional monarchy,  similar  in  its  limitations  and  general  organization 
to  that  of  Great  Britain.  A  Council  of  State  consistiog  of  three 
members  holding  office  for  life,  corresponds  to  the  Privy  Council 
of  Her  Majesty.  The  ministry,  composed  of  the  heads  of  six  de- 
partments— those  of  the  Empire,  Justice,  Foreign  Affairs,  Marine, 
War,  and  Finance — is  appointed  by  the  Emperor.  The  Legisla- 
ture consists  of  two  chambers,  the  Senate  and  the  House 
of  Deputies,  and  is  elected  by  the  different  cities  and  provinces. 
The  Senators,  titled  and  untitled,  the  proportion  of  each  being 
limited  by  law,  are  fifty-four  in  number,  and  like  the  Counsellors 
of  State  hold  office  for  life.  The  deputies  amount  to  more  than 
one  hundred  and  serve  for  a  limited  time.  Titles,  of  which  there 
are  a  considerable  number,  of  the  various  grades  of  Marquis, 
Count,  Viscount  and  Baron,  besides  those  of  different  orders 
of  knighthood,  are  not  hereditary,  and  there  is  no  right  of  pri- 
mogeniture in  the  descent  of  property. 

The  Legislature  in  its  two  branches,  like  the  Parliament  of 
England  and  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  has  cognizance 
of  the  entire  business  of  the  empire.  Its  discussions  and  debates 
on  every  subject,  are  as  free  as  those  of  the  two  bodies  named, 
and,  I  am  told,  are  often  marked  with  distinguished  ability,  varied 
learning  and  accomplishment,  and  true  parliamentary  eloquence. 
The  temperament  of  the  Brazilians  is  impulsive,  and  often  leads 
to  displays  of  impassioned  oratory,  on  points  eliciting  the  sectional 
jealousies   of  the   Senators  and  Deputies.    .With  an  empire  as 


76  BRAZIL    AND    LA   PLATA. 

widely  spread  as  our  own,  and  the  centralization  of  the  entire 
revenue  at  Rio,  occasions  often  occur  in  which  this  feeling  in 
regard  to  appropriations  and  other  legislative  measures  is  mani- 
fested. In  times  past,  the  ground  of  the  strongest  and  warmest 
partisanship,  was  found  in  the  early  rivalry  between  the  old 
Portuguese  population  and  the  native  Brazilians,  from  the  absorp- 
tion by  the  form  3r  of  the  chief  offices  and  emoluments  of  the  coun- 
try when  a  colony,  and  the  patronage  and  favoritism  extended  by* 
the  crown  to  those  who  accompanied  and  followed  John  VI.,  in  the 
transfer  of  the  court  from  Lisbon  in  1808.  This  cause  of  party 
irritation  is  now,  however,  rapidly  disappearing.  The  native  party 
with  its  purely  native  policy  and  views  is  entirely  predominant, 
and  can  never  again  lose  its  power  and  influence. 

A  flourish  of  trumpets  and  a  general  bustle  outside  soon 
intimated  the  approach  of  the  Emperor ;  and,  through  the  open 
window  before  mentioned,  I  had  a  view  of  the  procession  of  state. 
A  company  of  lancers  in  rapid  movement  cleared  the  way. 
These  were  followed  by  a  detachment  of  horse  guards,  in  a 
uniform  of  white  and  gold  with  scarlet  plumes,  accompanied  by 
a  mounted  band  playing  the  national  air ;  then  came  six  coaches- 
and-six — each  flanked  and  followed  by  its  guard  of  honor — contain- 
ing the  great  officers  of  the  household.  The  state  carriage  of 
the  Empress  and  her  ladies,  drawn  by  eight  iron  grays,  next  made 
its  appearance  ;  after  which  came  the  imperial  state  coach  with  a 
like  number  of  horses  ;  a  long  cavalcade  of  troops  completing  the 
cortege.  Each  pair  of  horses  had  its  postillion,  and  each  carriage 
its  coachman  and  three  footmen.  All  were  in  state  liveries 
of  green,  stiff  with  lace  and  embroideries  in  silver.  The 
postillions  wore  jockey  caps  fitting  closely  to  the  head,  with  lace 
and  embroideries  to  correspond  with  the  livery,  and  the  coachmen 
and  footmen,  old-fashioned  cocked  hats  broadly  laced  and  fringed 
with  white  ostrich  feathers.  The  postillions,  mostly  handsome 
young  lads,  and  the  coachmen  and  footmen  wore  powder,  and  the 
head  of  each  carriage-horse  was  surmounted  by  three  ostrich 
feathers  arranged  like  the  Prince  of  Wales'  plume.     The  panels 


THE    EMPEEOE.  77 

and  top  of  the  Emperor's  carriage  were  of  crimson  velvet ;  but 
all  other  parts,  the  wheels  included,  of  the  heaviest  carving,  richly- 
gilt  ; — the  pattern  and  style  of  the  whole  reminding  me  of  the 
state  coaches  of  his  great  ancestor,  Emanuel  of  Portugal,  in  the 
palmiest  days  of  his  reign,  which  I  recollect  to  have  had  pointed 
out  to  me,  as  matters  of  antiquity,  in  the  Koyal  Mews  at  Lisbon. 

A  procession  of  courtiers  now  appeared,  in  an  upper  corridor, 
open  to  view  from  the  gallery,  and,  by  a  double  line,  formed  a 
passage  way  for  the  Empress  and  ladies  in  waiting,  to  the 
tribune  appropriated  to  her.  This  was  screened  in  front  by 
curtains.  As  Her  Majesty  entered  these  were  drawn,  and  all  in 
the  gallery  rising  and  bowing,  remained  standing.  In  the  mean 
time  the  hall  below  became  deserted,  the  senators  and  deputies 
having  left  it  to  escort  the  Emperor  from  the  robing  room.  They 
returned  in  procession  in  a  few  moments,  with  His  Majesty  at  the 
head  in  full  coronation  attire,  wearing  the  crown  and  bearing  the 
sceptre  or  gilded  staff  of  state.  While  he  mounted  the  steps  of 
the  throne  the  members  filed  off  on  either  side  to  their  respective 
places.  Bowing  to  them,  as  he  turned  to  face  the  assembly,  the 
Emperor  bade  them  be  seated,  and  rested  himself  on  his  chair  of 
state.  A  secretary  then  presented  him  with  a  sheet  of  letter 
paper  in  a  portfolio,  from  which  he  read  an  address  some  five 
minutes  in  length.  At  its  close,  rising  and  again  bowing,  he  de- 
scended and  passed  through  the  centre  of  the  hall  as  he  had 
entered,  followed  in  procession  by  the  entire  body. 

Don  Pedro  II.,  whom  I  saw  as  a  child  of  three  years,  beside 
his  father  at  a  presentation  on  my  former  visit  in  Rio,  is  now  a 
tall  and  stalwart  young  man  of  twenty-five,  standing  among 
those  around  him,  like  Saul  in  Israel,  "  higher  than  any  of  the 
people  from  his  shoulders  and  upward."  He  is  finely  and 
massively  built,  with  great  breadth  of  shoulders  and  fulness  of 
chest.  His  German  descent,  through  his  mother,  the  Arch- 
duchess Leopoldina  of  Austria,  is  strikingly  manifest  in  his  light 
hair,  blue  eyes  and  fair  complexion.  There  is  nothing  either  in 
the  features  or  expression  of  his  face  to  remind  one  that,  on  his 


78  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

father's  side,  lie  is  a  direct  representative  of  the  united  blood  of 
Braganza  and  Castile.  His  countenance,  in  repose,  is  heavy  and 
inexpressive,  and  in  the  reading  of  his  speech  exhibited  little 
flexibility.  A  fixed  and,  seemingly,  determined  indifi"erence  was 
all  that  could  be  inferred  from  his  enunciations  and  intonations. 
I  could  not  detect  the  slightest  emotion  of  any  kind  or  perceive 
a  ray  of  feeling  in  his  eye,  as  he  went  mechanically  through  it. 
How  far  this  might  be  attributed  to  the  subject  matter,  I  am 
unable  to  say ;  it  was  in  Portuguese,  which  I  do  not  understand, 
and  I  have  not  yet  seen  a  report  of  it  in  French  in  the  daily 
journals.  Still  he  is  known  to  be  a  man  of  mind  and  character; 
has  been  most  carefully  and  thoroughly  educated  ;  is  extensively 
read ;  scientific  in  his  studies  and  pursuits ;  and  of  exemplary 
correctness  in  his  moral  principles  and  character. 

The  Empress  Dona  Theresa  is  a  Bourbon  of  Naples,  a  younger 
sister  of  the  present  King  of  the  two  Sicilies,  and,  of  course,  of 
Christina,  Queen  Dowager  of  Spain.  She  is  apparently  some 
four  or  five  years  the  senior  of  her  lord.  In  person  she  is  short 
and  stout,  full  in  face,  with  well-defined  features,  and  great  amia- 
bility and  benevolence  of  expression.  Her  walk  and  general 
mien,  however,  are  not  particularly  marked  with  the  high  bearing 
and  finished  air,  which  give  such  grace  and  such  prestige  of  regal 
birth  and  training  to  some  of  her  compeers  in  rank,  whom  I  have 
seen  in  Europe.  She  was  in  court  costume — an  under  dress  of 
white  satin  heavily  embroidered  with  gold,  with  a  profusion  of 
rich  lace  falling  deeply  over  the  corsage  and  forming  its  sleeves. 
These  were  looped  with  bands  of  diamonds  magnificent  in  size 
and  lustre.  The  train  was  of  green  velvet  with  embroideries 
in  gold,  corresponding  with  those  of  the  skirt.  Her  head-dress, 
with  the  hair  worn  in  long  ringlets  in  front,  was  a  wreath  of 
diamonds  and  emeralds,  in  the  shape  of  flowers,  rising  into  the 
form  of  a  coronet  over  the  forehead,  and  from  which  a  white 
ostrich  feather  fell  on  one  side  gracefully  to  the  shoulder.  A 
broad  sash,  the  combined  ribbons  of  diff'erent  orders — scarlet, 
purple,  and  green — crossed  the  bust  from  the  right  shoulder  to 


THE   EMPRESS.  79 

the  waist,  above  whicli  a  mass  of  emeralds  and  diamonds  of  the 
first  water  sparkled  on  her  bosom.  The  ladies  in  waiting  were 
also  in  dresses  of  green  and  gold  of  corresponding  character. 

By  the  time  the  gallery  was  sufl&ciently  cleared  to  allow  of 
a  comfortable  descent,  the  procession  was  formed  for  a  return,  in 
the  same  order  in  which  it  had  arrived.  The  Empress  was 
entering  her  carriage  at  a  canopied  doorway,  as  I  gained  the  open 
air.  Some  amusing  incident  had  just  occurred,  and  in  taking  her 
seat  she  indulged  in  quite  a  laugh  with  her  companions.  This 
entirely  confirmed  the  impression  of  her  good  looks  and  amiabil- 
ity. Ten  years  of  apparent  age  were  at  once  thrown  off,  and 
both  vivacity  of  mind  and  sweetness  of  manner  indicated  by  it. 
A  pleasant  break  upon  the  frigidity  of  imperial  etiquette,  having 
the  effect  of  a  burst  of  sunshine  on  a  cloudy  day,  over  a  land- 
scape whose  chief  beauty  till  then  had  been  in  shade. 

A  lowering  morning  by  this  time  began  to  settle  into  a  heavy 
rain  ;  and  a  heavy  rain  here  is  a  rain  indeed.  It  soon  poured  in 
torrents ;  and  it  seemed  a  pity,  in  an  economical  point  of  view,  at 
least,  as  the  long  display  moved  off  for  a  ride  of  three  miles  to 
San  Christovao,  that  so  much  gilding  and  embroidery,  so  much  lace 
and  velvet,  and  so  many  fine  feathers  should  be  exposed  to  the 
peltings  of  the  storm. 


CHAPTER     YII. 

ElO  DE  JaiTEiro. 

September  IQth. — There  is  no  seaman's  chaplain  or  other 
American  clergyman,  at  present  at  Rio  ;  and  the  religious  services 
of  the  Sabbath  on  board  the  Congress,  since  our  arrival,  have 
been  attended  by  many  of  our  compatriots,  both  ladies  and  gen- 
tlemen, residents  here,  including  the  Ambassador  and  Consul  and 
their  families.  Occasions  occur  not  unfrequently  both  in  the 
shipping  and  on  shore,  calling  for  the  special  services  of  a  Pro- 
testant minister  of  the  Gospel.  This  has  been  the  case  within 
the  passing  week.  The  commander  of  an  American  schooner 
spoken  by  us  the  day  we  crossed  the  line,  but  which  did  not 
arrive  till  ten  days  after  the  Congress,  died  suddenly  of  apoplexy 
the  morning  he  entered  port.  The  schooner  was  put  in  quaran- 
tine, immediately,  by  the  health  ofl&cer ;  and  it  was  with  great 
difficulty  permission  was  obtained  from  the  authorities  for  the 
burial  of  the  body  on  shore.  Mr.  Kent,  the  consul,  formerly 
Governor  of  the  State  of  Maine,  solicited  my  attendance  officially 
at  the  interment.  This  took  place  at  the  Protestant  cemetery 
at  Gamboa,  a  northern  suburb  of  the  city,  situated  on  a  broad 
indenture  on  the  western  side  of  the  bay.  Here  the  body  had 
been  carried  by  water.  Gov.  Kent  took  me  in  a  calesa  by  land. 
The  drive  is  through  a  mean  and  unattractive  part  of  the  city, 
by  a  winding  course  from  street  to  street,  between  the  hill  of 
San  Bento  and  that  surmounted  by  the  Bishop's  Palace. 


CEMETERY    OF    GAMBOA.  81 

This  burial-ground  was  purchased  by  the  foreign  residents 
of  Rio  twenty-five  or  thirty  years  ago.  It  was  then,  and 
still  is,  comparatively,  a  secluded  and  rural  spot,  upon  a  hill-side 
overhung  and  crowned  with  trees,  and  commanding  a  beautiful 
view  northward  of  the  upper  bay  and  its  many  islands ;  of  the 
rich  valleys  to  the  west;  and  of  the  Organ  Mountains  sweeping 
majestically  round  in  the  distance.  It  is  enclosed  with  high 
and  substantial  walls  of  stone,  and  is  entered  by  an  ornamental 
gateway  of  iron.  From  this  a  winding  avenue  of  trees  marks 
the  ascent  to  a  neat  little  chapel  on  a  terrace  near  the  centre  of 
the  ground.  Here  such  religious  services  as  may  be  desired,  or 
can  be, secured,  before  committing  the  dead  to  the  grave,  are 
usually  observed. 

The  morning  was  wet  and  gloomy,  according  well  with  the 
object  of  our  visit,  and  the  peculiar  circumstances  in  which  the 
burial  was  to  take  place.  A  funeral  more  sad  in  its  desolateness 
could  scarcely  be :  that  of  a  stranger,  in  a  strange  land,  un- 
wept and  unattended  by  any  one  who  had  ever  seen,  or  ever 
heard  of  him  when  living.  The  consul,  the  undertaker,  the 
grave-digger  and  I,  as  chaplain,  being  the  only  persons  brought 
to  the  spot  either  by  duty  or  humanity.  The  officers  and  crew 
of  the  schooner  were  in  quarantine,  and,  from  some  omission  or 
mistake  in  the  arrangements,  no  representative  from  other  Ameri- 
can vessels  in  port  was  present. 

The  kindness  of  Gov.  Kent,  in  giving  his  personal  attend- 
ance, was  at  a  sacrifice  of  feeling  which  could  not  fail  to  elicit 
my  sympathy,  though  a  stranger  to  him  till  within  a  few  days 
past.  It  is  but  a  very  brief  period,  scarcely  a  month,  since  he 
committed  to  the  newly-made  grave  near  which  we  were  standing, 
an  only  son  of  great  promise  just  verging  into  manhood :  one  of 
the  last  of  the  victims  of  the  late  epidemic.  The  associations 
of  thepassing  scene  could  not  but  revive  in  painful  freshness  a 
sorrow  that  has  not  yet  lost  its  keenness. 

The  rain,  and  the  wetness  in  every  pathway,  prevented  all 
observation,  except  a  general  glance  around,  or  any  lingering 
4* 


82  BKAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

among  the  memorials  of  those  who  rest  here,  far  from  the  sepul- 
chres of  their  fathers.  It  had  been  my  purpose,  before  being 
called  thus  by  duty  to  the  spot,  early  to  visit  in  it  the  tomb  of  my 
friend  Tudor.  This  was  the  only  one  I  now  sought,  to  stand  a 
moment  beside  it  in  remembrance  of  the  dead,  and,  in  thoughts 
of  the  living,  who  most  loved  him,  but  who  may  never  be  per- 
mitted to  look  upon  his  grave.  It  is  marked  by  a  plain  white 
obelisk  of  Italian  marble,  bearing  the  following  simple  inscrip- 
tion : 

Ossa 

GxJLiELMi   Tudor 

Rerump :  Feed :  Americse  Sept :  * 

Legati. 

Natus  Bostonise  A.  D.  MDCCLXXIX. 

Mortuus  est 

Rio  Janiero  A.  D.  MDCCCXXX. 

Multis  ille  "bonis 

flebiKs  Occidit. 

September  ISth. — The  objects,  at  Rio,  of  historic  interest  to 
the  stranger,  or  suggestive  to  him  of  thoughts  of  the  past,  are 
few.  There  is,  however,  at  least  one  entitled  in  these  respects 
to  a  passing  notice  from  a  Protestant.  It  is  a  small  island, 
situated  a  short  distance  seaward  from  our  anchorage,  beneath  the 
green  heights  of  Castle  Hill,  a  half  mile  from  the  shore.  Its 
entire  area  is  occupied  by  a  fortress,  whose  white  ramparts,  demi- 
turreted  angles,  and  floating  banner,  form  conspicuous  objects  in 
coming  up  the  harbor.  My  eye  never  consciously  rests  upon  it 
without  recurrence  to  a  fact  in  the  early  history  of  Rio,  insepa- 
rably associated  with  the  name  which  both  island  and  fortress  now 
bear — that  of  Villegagnon.  However  imposing  and  aristocratic 
in  sound,  it  is  synonymous  in  its  application  here,  with  treachery, 
and  not  less  surreptitious— to  compare  small  things  with  great — 
as  regards  the  name  of  the  noble  old  Huguenot  Cpligny,  first 
given  to  them,  than  that  of  Americus,  borne  by  half  the  globe, 
instead  of  one  in  honor  of  the  true  finder  of  the  western  world. 


DISCOVERY   OF  BRAZIL.  83 

Brazil  was  first  discovered  by  Yincente  Pinzon,  one  of  the 
companions  of  Columbus  in  his  first  voyage,  on  the  26th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1499.  The  land  descried  by  him  was  Cape  St.  Augustine 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  present  city  of  Pernambuco.  He  took  pos- 
session of  the  country  in  the  name  of  the  crown  of  Castile,  whose 
flag  he  bore,  and,  coasting  northward  to  the  mouth  of  the  Ama- 
zon, returned  to  Spain  without  forming  a  settlement.  About 
the  same  period  Pedro  Cabral  was  fitting  out  a  large  fleet  in  the 
Tagus,  to  be  conducted  to  India  by  the  newly  known  route  of 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  Fearful  of  the  calms  in  the  Atlantic 
off  the  coast  of  Africa,  in  pursuing  the  voyage,  he  ran  so  far  to 
the  west  as  to  make,  on  the  25th  of  April,  1506,  the  same  shores 
Pinzon  had,  some  degrees  further  to  the  south.  Entering  a  fine 
bay,  in  imitation  of  Columbus,  he  erected  a  wooden  cross  on  the 
shore,  before  which  he  and  his  followers  prostrated  themselves, 
and  high  mass  being  performed,  possession  of  the  country  was 
taken  in  the  name  of  his  sovereign  Emanuel  of  Portugal.  He 
gave  to  the  bay  the  name  of  Porto  Seguro,  since  changed  in  honor 
of  him  to  Cabralia,  and  to  the  country  that  of  the  Terra  de  Vera 
Cruz — the  Land  of  the  Holy  Cross.  This  appellation,  however, 
was  soon  lost  in  that  of  Brazil,  from  the  abundance  of  the  wood  of 
that  name  found  in  it  and  the  high  value  placed  upon  the  article 
in  Europe :  a  result  pathetically  deplored  by  a  pious  Jesuit,  in 
the  lamentation  that  "  the  cupidity  of  man  by  unworthy  traffic, 
should  change  the  wood  of  the  cross,  red  with  the  real  blood  of 
Christ,  for  that  of  another  wood  which  resembled  it  only  in 
color." 

The  harbor  of  Rio  de  Janeiro  was  not  discovered  till  1516. 
De  Solis,  in  search  of  a  western  passage  to  the  Pacific,  looked 
into  it,  in  that  year,  as  he  coasted  his  way  to  the  E-io  de  la  Plata 
where  he  lost  his  life.  He  gave  to  it  no  name,  however,  and  it 
remained  unvisited  again  till  De  Sousa  entered  it  in  1531.  Under 
the  impression  that  it  was  the  outlet  of  a  great  river,  this  naviga- 
tor called  it  Bio  de  Janeiro,  the  day  on  which  he  made  the  sup- 
posed discovery  being  the  first  of  the  new  year.     It  did  not, 


84  BRAZIL    AND    LA   PLATA. 

however,  particularly  attract  the  notice  of  the  Portuguese,  and 
still  remained  unoccupied  by  them. 

In  the  mean  time  adventurers  and  traders  from  France  made 
their  way  to  this  part  of  the  New  World,  and  secured  the  good 
will  and  friendship  of  the  natives.  Among  them  was  Yillegagnon, 
a  knight  of  Malta,  who  had  seen  service  in  the  east,  was  an  officer 
of  distinction  in  the  French  navy,  and  had  commanded  the  vessel 
which  carried  Mary  Queen  of  Scots  and  her  retinue  from  France 
on  her  return  to  her  kingdom.  His  visit  to  Brazil  inspired  him 
with  the  ambition  of  establishing  a  colony  at  Rio.  Desirous  of 
the  favor  and  aid  of  the  crown  in  this  project,  and  believing  the 
influence  of  Coligny  with  the  king  the  surest  means  of  accomplish- 
ing this  end,  to  win  his  confidence  and  co-operation  he  professed  a 
deep  interest  in  the  condition  of  the  Protestants  of  France,  and 
avowed  the  purpose  of  making  the  proposed  colony  a  refuge  to 
them,  from  the  persecutions  to  which  they  were  subject  at  home. 
The  king  was  led  by  his  friendship  for  Coligny,  to  regard  the  pro- 
position with  such  favor  as  to  grant  to  Yilegagnon  two  vessels  for 
the  expedition,  while  the  admiral  interested  himself  in  securing  a 
number  of  respectable  Protestants  to  accompany  it  as  colonists. 

On  arriving  at  Rio  in  1555,  Yillegagnon  first  took  possession 
of  the  small  island  Lage  near  the  mouth  of  the  harbor;  but 
soon  finding  this  too  much  exposed  to  the  sea,  removed  to  one 
larger  near  the  site  of  the  present  city,  to  which,  with  the  fort 
erected  upon  it,  he  gave  the  name  of  Coligny.  The  vessels 
were  sent  back  to  France  for  reinforcements.  Grreat  interest  in 
the  enterprise  had  in  the  mean  time  been  excited  among  the 
Protestants  there.  Two  clergymen  and  fourteen  students  of  the- 
ology had  been  selected  in  Geneva  to  secure  the  spiritual  good 
of  the  colony,  and  were  received,  preparatory  to  their  embarka- 
tion, at  the  chateau  of  Coligny  near  Chatillon,  with  great  atten- 
tion. Large  numbers  of  respectable  emigrants  joined  them,  and 
sanguine  hopes  were  entertained  that  the  principles  of  the  refor- 
mation would  be  surely  implanted  in  the  New  World. 

Early  after  the  arrival  of  this  reinforcement,  Yillegagnon, 


HUGUENOT    COLONISTS.  85 

believing  himself  sure  of  tlie  support  of  tlie  crown  in  tlie  further 
prosecution  of  his  object,  under  the  pretence  of  having  returned 
to  his  old  faith,  commenced  so  bitter  a  persecution  of  the  Prot- 
estants, that,  in  place  of  the  peaceful  enjoyment  of  freedom  of 
conscience  for  which  they  had  been  led  so  far  from  their  native 
land,  they  found  themselves  in  a  worse  condition  in  this  respect 
than  they  were  at  home.  They  were  driven,  at  length,  to  the 
determination  of  returning  to  France.  The  only  vessel,  however, 
granted  to  them  for  the  purpose  was  so  old  and  so  ill  found  for 
the  voyage,  that  five  of  the  number,  after  going  on  board,  refused 
to  venture  their  lives  in  her.  Of  these,  three  were  afterwards 
put  to  death  by  Yillegagnon,  and  the  others,  flying  for  refuge  to 
the  Portuguese  settlements,  were  constrained  to  apostatize  to  save 
their  lives.  The  company  who  embarked  reached  France  only 
after  having  suflfered  all  but  death  from  starvation.  At  the  time 
of  their  return,  ten  thousand  of  their  brethren  were  in  readiness, 
under  the  auspices  of  Coligny,  to  embark  for  the  new  colony.  The 
report  brought  by  them  of  the  treachery  of  him  who  was  to  have 
been  their  leader  at  once  changed  their  purpose  ;  and  the  project 
of  a  Protestant  colony  in  '  France  Antarctique,'  as  the  region  had 
already  been  styled,  was  abandoned.  Thus  it  was  that  the  re- 
ligious and  civil  destiny  of  one  of  the  richest  sections  of  the  New 
World  was  changed  for  centuries  now  past,  and,  it  may  be,  for 
centuries  yet  to  come. 

With  the  remembrance  of  tliis  failure  in  establishing  the 
Reformed  religion  here,  and  of  the  direct  cause  which  led  to  it, 
I  often  find  myself  speculating,  as  to  the  possible  and  pro- 
bable results  which  would  have  followed  the  successful  estab- 
lishment of  Protestantism  during  the  three  hundred  years 
which  have  intervened.  With  the  wealth  and  power  and  in- 
creasing prosperity  of  the  United  States  before  us  as  the  fruits, 
at  the  end  of  two  hundred  years,  of  the  colonization  of  a  few 
feeble  bands  of  Protestants  on  the  comparatively  bleak  and  barren 
shore  of  the  Northern  Continent,  there  is  no  presumption  in  the 
belief  that,  had  a  people  of  similar  faith,  similar  morals,  similar 


86  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

habits  of  industry  and  enterprise,  gained  an  abiding  footing  in 
so  genial  a  climate  and  on  so  exuberant  a  soil,  long  ago,  the 
still  unexplored  and  impenetrable  wildernesses  of  the  interior 
would  have  bloomed  and  blossomed  in  civilization  as  the  rose,  and 
Brazil  from  the  sea-coast  to  the  Andes  become  one  of  the  gardens 
of  the  world.  But  the  germ  which  might  have  led  to  this  was 
crushed  by  the  bad  faith  and  malice  of  Villegagnon ;  and,  as 
I  look  on  the  spot  which,  by  bearing  his  name,  in  the  eyes 
of  a  Protestant  at  least  perpetuates  his  reproach,  the  two  or 
three  solitary  palms  which  lift  their  tufted  heads  above  the  em- 
battled walls,  and  furnish  the  only  evidence  of  vegetation  on  the 
island,  seem,  instead  of  plumed  warriors  in  the  midst  of  their 
defences,  like  sentinels  of  grief  mourning  the  blighted  hopes  of 
the  long  past. 

The  conduct  of  Villegagnon  soon  met  its  just  recompense. 
The  course  he  pursued  towards  the  Huguenots  led  to  the  early  and 
utter  failure  of  his  enterprise.  Had  he  been  true  to  his  followers 
of  the  Reformed  faith,  the  colony,  in  place  of  being  weakened  by 
the  return  of  any  to  France,  would  have  been  so  strengthened  and 
established  by  the  ten  thousand  prepared  to  join  them,  that  the 
Portuguese  would  never  have  been  able  to  dislodge  and  supplant 
them.  Needing  reinforcements,  Villegagnon  proceeded  himself 
to  France  to  secure  more  settlers  and  the  further  aid  of  the  gov- 
ernment. Every  thing  there  was  adverse  to  his  object.  He  had 
forfeited  the  favor  of  Coligny,  and  put  an  effectual  end  to  the 
emigration  of  Protestants  to  Brazil.  The  king  was  too  much 
occupied  with  the  civil  war  existing  to  give  heed  to  him.  While 
thus  delayed  the  Portuguese  fitted  out  a  strong  expedition  under 
Mem  de  Sa  from  Bahia.  This  was  successful.  The  French  were 
driven  to  their  ships,  and  the  Portuguese,  possessing  themselves 
of  the  island  on  which  they  had  been  established,  gained  such 
foothold  as  never  afterwards  to  be  displaced.  This  occurred  on 
the  20th  of  Jan.  1560,  St.  Sebastian's  day,  under  the  patronage 
of  which  saint  the  expedition  had  been  placed :  and  in  whose 
honor   the  city  afterwards  built  on  the  mainland,  received  the 


PROGRESS   IN    CIVILIZATION.  87 

name    of  St.    Sebastian.     This  is   now,   however,    entirely  sup- 
planted by  that  of  E-io  de  Janeiro. 

In  1676  the  city  had  become  so  populous  as  to  be  made  the 
see  of  a  Bishop,  and  the  palace  now  crowning  the  brow  of  the 
Bishop's  Hill  was  built.  At  that  time,  and  for  more  than  a 
hundred  years  afterwards,  Bahia  was  the  seat  of  chief  authority 
in  the  captaincies  of  Brazil;  but  in  1763,  so  greatly  had  the 
wealth  and  influence  of  Rio  increased,  from  the  discovery  of  the 
gold  and  diamond  mines,  whose  products  were  poured  into  her 
bosom  as  a  market,  that  the  residence  of  the  Viceroy  was  trans- 
ferred from  Bahia  and  became  permanently  fixed  here. 

It  was  not,  however,  till  the  arrival  of  the  royal  family  of  Por- 
tugal, in  their  flight  from  Lisbon  before  the  French  army  in  1808, 
that  the  prosperity  and  true  progress  of  Rio,  and  Brazil  in  gene- 
ral, may  be  said  to  have  commenced.  Till  then,  the  whole  country 
had  been  subject  to  the  restrictive  and  depressing  influences  of 
the  policy  adopted  by  the  mother  country,  in  the  government  of  her 
colonies  :  all  foreign  trade  interdicted,  heavy  import  and  export 
duties  imposed  on  the  commerce  with  Portugal  herself,  grasping 
monopolies  claimed  by  the  crown  at  home,  and  extortionate  per- 
quisites exacted  by  its  representatives  on  the  ground.  There  were 
no  press,  no  newspapers,  no  books,  no  schools.  The  whole  country 
was  in  a  state  of  darkness  and  ignorance  beyond  that  of  the 
Middle  Ages ;  and  Rio  an  unenlightened,  unrefined,  and  demora- 
lized provincial  town.  But  with  the  Prince  Regent  of  Portugal, 
the  Queen  mother,  the  court,  and  more  than  twenty  thousand 
followers,  European  manners  and  customs,  and  the  habits  and 
usages  of  modern  civilized  life  were  introduced.  Commerce  was 
opened  to  all  nations  ;  and  the  press,  literature  and  the  arts  estab- 
lished. The  changes  efi"ected  in  Rio  were  almost  miraculous ;  and 
so  constant  and  so  rapid  have  been  the  improvements  to  the  present 
time,  that  she  now  presents  to  the  visitor,  in  many  of  her  leading 
features,  an  aspect  becoming  the  metropolis  of  a  great  Empire. 

The  progress  of  enlightened  government,  enlarged  liberty  and 
extended  commerce,  has  been  commensurate  with  the  advances  in 


88  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

civilization,  intellectual  culture  and  tlie  refinements  of  life.  The 
measure  of  throwing  the  ports  open  to  all  nations,  so  wise  and  so 
essential,  at  once  adopted  and  proclaimed  by  the  Prince  Regent — 
afterwards  John  VI. — in  1808,  was  followed  by  him  in  1815  by 
the  no  less  important  step  of  elevating  the  colony  in  its  united 
provinces  to  a  distinct  kingdom,  on  an  equality  in  its  rights  and 
privileges  with  those  of  Portugal  and  Algarves,  under  the  one 
crown. 

In  1822,  Brazil  became  an  independent  empire  under  Don 
Pedro  I.  with  a  constitution  which  guaranteed  to  her  a  represen- 
tative legislature,  and  the  largest  liberty  compatible  with  the 
immunities  of  the  limited  monarchy  by  which  she  is  still  governed. 

This  political  progress  was  not  made  without  obstacles  and 
threatened  anarchy  and  disaster.  The  return  to  Portugal  of 
John  VI.  in  1821,  was  followed  in  1831,  by  the  abdication  of  Don 
Pedro  I.  in  favor  of  his  son,  a  child  four  years  of  age ;  and  par- 
tisan conflicts,  during  the  regency  which  followed,  made  necessary 
the  sudden  termination,  in  1840,  of  the  minority  of  Don  Pedro 
II.,  at  the  age  of  14,  in  violation  of  an  article  of  the  constitution 
fixing  the  majority  of  an  heir  to  the  throne  at  eighteen.  Since 
then,  however,  general  tranquillity  and  progressive  prosperity  have 
prevailed.  After  years  of  deficiency  in  the  revenue  there  is  now 
a  surplus ;  the  receipts  of  the  imperial  treasury  for  the  last  year 
being  seventeen  millions  and  a  half  of  dollars,  and  the  expendi- 
tures little  more  than  fifteen  millions.  The  national  debt  is  sixty 
millions,  but  with  increasing  exports  and  an  enlarging  commerce 
this  may  soon  be  liquidated ;  and  the  finances  of  the  country  be 
placed  in  unfettered  condition.  The  revenue  is  derived  from 
duties  on  exports  as  well  as  imports  ;  those  on  exports  being  ap- 
plicable alike  to  the  internal  commerce  of  the  empire  between 
province  and  province,  and  to  that  with  foreign  countries.  The 
export  duty  on  coffee,  transferred  from  one  province  to  another, 
is  ten  per  cent.  On  shipments  of  the  same  article  for  foreign 
ports,  there  is  an  additional  duty  of  two  per  cent.  Every  pro- 
duct— rice,  sugar,  cotton,  farina — is  thus  taxed.  The  export  duty 


DANGERS   AND    SAFEGUARDS.  89 

on  mandioca,  the  staff  of  life  of  the  country,  is  regulated  by  the 
market  value  of  the  article,  and  not  by  fixed  per  centage. 

There  is  no  direct  tax  on. landed  property,  but,  in  lieu  of  it, 
a  levy  of  ten  per  cent,  on  every  transfer  of  real  estate.  There 
is  also  an  annual  tax  on  slaves  throughout  the  empire  at  the 
rate  of  two  milreis  a  head. 

The  greatest  danger  to  which  the  empire  seems  exposed,  arises 
from  the  vastness  of  its  extent,  and  the  obstacles  which  have 
hitherto  existed  to  a  ready  intercourse,  between  its  difi"erent  sec- 
tions and  the  central  power  at  Rio  de  Janeiro.  But  steam 
navigation  already  established  along  its  coast,  and  soon  to  be 
introduced  on  its  northern  rivers,  with  projected  railroads  and 
telegraphic  routes,  promises  to  overcome  this  difficulty  ;  and,  as  in 
the  United  States,  so  to  facilitate  communication,  and  so  closely 
and  firmly  to  bind  the  difi"erent  provinces  in  a  whole,  as  to  secure 
the  perpetuity  and  integrity  of  the  empire. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

At  Ska. 

September  23d — 

"  The  sea  again !  the  swift,  bright  sea !  " — 

and,  at  the  rate  of  twelve  miles  the  hour, 

"Away,  away  upon  the  rushing  tide 
We  hurry  faster  than  the  foam  we  ride, 
Dashing  afar  the  waves,  which  round  us  cling, 
With  strength  like  that  which  lifts  the  eagle's  wing, 
Where  the  stars  dazzle  and  the  angels  sing. 
We  scatter  the  spray, 

And  break  through  the  billows, 
As  the  wind  makes  way 

Through  the  leaves  of  wiUows ! " 

We  had  expected  to  meet  at  Rio  de  Janeiro,  the  frigate 
Brandywine,  the  ship  the  Congress  came  to  relieve ;  but  instead, 
Commodore  McKeever  found  orders  awaiting  him  there  to  pro- 
ceed to  Montevideo.  In  obedience  to  these  we  got  under  way, 
early  on  the  17th  inst. ;  but,  after  dropping  down  the  bay  a  couple 
of  miles,  the  land  breeze  failed  us  and  we  again  came  to  anchor. 
For  three  successive  days,  we  made  a  like  attempt  to  get  to  sea, 
but  to  no  purpose ;  and,  on  the  morning  of  the  21st,  employed  a 
steam  tug  to  tow  us  out.  The  British  Admiral  had  previously 
proffered  the  use  of  a  small  steamer,  in  attendance  upon  his  flag ; 


PRAYA   GRANDE.  91 

and  now  sent  her,  to  aid  the  little  tow-boat  in  stemming  witli  her 
stately  burden,  the  tide  just  beginning  to  set  in.  When  well  out- 
side we  took  a  smacking  breeze ;  and,  though  scarce  two  days  at 
sea,  have  run  five  hundred  miles — nearly  half  the  distance  to 
Montevideo. 

There  was  no  special  reason  for  regret  at  the  delay  in  getting 
off.  The  position  we  occupied  while  detained  was  the  finest  pos- 
sible for  the  study  of  the  imagery  amidst  which  we  lay.  But  for 
some  accidental  cause  of  the  kind,  we  should  not  have  had  an 
opportunity  of  enjoying  it,  and  I  availed  myself  of  the  chance  to 
secure  a  panoramic  drawing,  embracirg  points  of  beauty  not 
commanded  from  the  customary  anchorage  of  men-of-war.  Dur- 
ing the  detention.  Captain  Mcintosh  took  me  with  him  in  two 
or  three  excursions  upon  the  water  in  his  gig,  followed  by  walks 
on  shore  of  interest  and  novelty.  One  of  these  was  to  Praya 
Grande,  opposite  Kio ;  and  another  to  the  bay  of  St.  Francis 
Xavier,  called  by  the  English  Five-fathom  Bay,  on  the  same 
side  of  the  water,  but  nearer  the  sea. 

The  formation  of  the  land  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  harbor 
is  less  bold  and  lofty  than  that  on  which  the  city  lies.  The 
mountains  are  more  distant,  and  the  spurs  from  them  come  down 
in  rounded  hills,  interspersed  with  valleys  and  broad  interval  lands. 
Praya  Grande  and  Praya  San  Domingo  form  one  gently  curving 
beach  on  this  shore,  some  three  miles  in  length,  extending  north- 
ward from  the  fragmentary  islet — on  the  bluff  crest  of  which  is 
perched  the  little  chapel  of  Boa  Viagem — to  a  beautifully 
rounded  promontory  jutting  far  westward  into  the  bay.  They 
are  contiguous  parishes,  seemingly  but  one  settlement,  and  are 
rural  and  village  like.  The  green  banks  along  the  water  side  are 
overhung  with  trees,  and  the  houses  every  where  interspersed 
with  large  gardens  and  ornamented  enclosures.  The  population 
of  the  two  places  amounts  to  about  three  thousand.  The  resi- 
dences, for  the  most  part,  are  well  built,  and  many  of  them  taste- 
ful in  architecture,  and  fanciful  in  their  embellishment.  In  com- 
parison with  the  city  opposite,  the  whole  district  is  pure   and 


92  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

cleanly ;  and,  in  place  of  the  villanous  smells  too  often  met  there, 
abounds  with  the  mingled  fragrance  of  the  orange,  cape  jessa- 
mine, heliotrope,  and  nnnumhered  other  blossoms — constituting 
a  sweetness  more  fresh  and  grateful  than  the  choicest  '  mille  fleurs' 
of  the  perfumist.  Wild  roses,  multiflora,  and  clustering  flowers  of 
varied  hues,  mantle  the  tops  and  fringe  the  sides  of  ihe  hedges 
of  myrtle  and  mimosa,  aloes  and  cacti  which  border  the  roads, 
while  many  of  the  pleasure  gardens,  of  which  we  had  glimpses 
through  the  iron  railings  and  open  gateways,  are  adorned  with 
plants  and  shrubs  of  novel  forms  and  gorgeous  bloom,  amidst  foun- 
tains of  greater  or  less  beauty. 

We  made  our  way  into  the  open  countrj^,  meeting,  at  one 
or  two  points,  features  in  the  scenery  quite  homelike :  one — a 
meadow  of  coarse  grass  edged  by  a  copse  and  thickets  inter- 
spersed with  single  trees ;  and  another,  a  large  field  on  a  hill-side 
having  the  earth  freshly  turned  up,  like  newly  ploughed  ground 
with  us,  over  which  noble  mango  trees,  with  their  thickly  set 
leaves,  and  rounded  tops,  were  scattered  like  oaks  in  an  English 
park.  On  every  hand  there  was  a  great  variety  of  growth  in 
shrub  and  tree,  and  it  was  with  no  slight  degree  of  pleasure  that 
I  recognized  among  others,  as  old  friends  at  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  not  only  the  cocoa-nut^  palm  and  banana,  but  also  the 
bread-fruit,  the  tamarind,  and  ahcerites  triloba — or  candle  tree. 

Not  knowing  how  far  the  road  we  were  following  might  lead, 
before  it  would  again  conduct  towards  the  water,  we  were  about 
to  retrace  our  steps  the  same  way,  when,  a  question  accidentally  put 
to  a  negro  passing,  led  to  a  return  under  his  guidance  over  a  hill,  by 
a  wild  and  romantic  bridle-path.  This  was  so  overhung  by  densely 
interwoven  growth,  that  the  glare  of  midday  soon  became  twi- 
light to  us,  and  the  heat  of  a  burning  sun  tempered  to  the  cool- 
ness of  a  grotto.  At  many  points  of  the  entire  walk,  the  views 
of  the  bay  and  city  in  the  distance,  and  of  the  mountains  over- 
hanging them  were  of  unsurpassed  beauty.  Indeed,  there  was 
no  end  to  the  forms  of  loveliness  by  which  we  were  surrounded,  and 
to  the  associations  in  memory  and  affection  brought  to  my  mind 


BAY    OF    FKANCIS    XAVIEE.  93 

by  them.  With  the  expectation  of  spending  many  a  tedious 
month  of  our  long  exile  on  the  adjoining  waters,  it  was  a  delight 
to  know  that  walks  of  such  freshness  and  beauty  are  so  near  and 
so  accessible. 

The  row  to  the  bay  of  St.  Francis  Xavier  was  made  the  suc- 
ceeding afternoon.  A  bold  and  strongly  defined  promontory  of 
granite,  separates  this  sheet  from  the  waters  of  the  general  harbor, 
and  makes  it  so  land-locked  as  to  give  to  it  the  aspect  of  a 
secluded  lake.  Till  we  had  doubled  this,  I  had  no  idea  of  the 
depth  to  which  the  bay  sweeps  seaward  behind  the  promontory, 
or  of  the  feeling  of  remoteness  from  civilized  life  which  its  gen- 
eral features  at  once  impart.  The  wild  mountains,  with  a  rude 
hut  clinging  here  and  there  to  their  uncultivated  sides;  the 
primitive  look  of  the  lowly  cottages  of  fishermen  stretched  along 
a  distant  beach ;  and  the  canoes  drawn  up  on  the  sands,  or  resting 
lightly  upon  the  water,  again  transported  me  to  the  South  Seas, 
and  I  felt  as  if  at  the  Marquesan  or  Society  Islands,  rather  than 
within  a  half  a  dozen  miles  of  the  metropolis  of  a  magnificent 
empire.  Just  so  untamed',  just  so  Indian-like,  I  am  told,  were 
the  entire  surroundings  of  the  bay  of  Rio,  till  within  the  last 
thirty  or  forty  years. 

The  eastern  side  of  this  inlet  is  formed  by  a  long  curving 
beach  of  sand,  called  the  Praya  Carahy.  It  fronts  an  extensive 
plain  of  low  alluvial  ground  through  which,  at  either  end,  two 
streams  from  the  mountains  make  their  way.  Landing  at  the  mouth 
of  the  most  southern  of  these,  with  orders  for  the  boat  to  meet 
us  at  that  to  the  north,  we  walked  upon  the  sands  the  interven- 
ing distance,  in  alternate  admiration  of  the  scenery  inland,  on  the 
one  side,  and  the  sportings  of  a  heavy  surf  on  the  other.  This 
illumined  by  the  rays  of  the  declining  sun,  rose  high  in  emerald 
masses,  till,  cresting  into  ten  thousand  diamonds,  it  thundered  on 
the  beach  and  came  rushing  to  our  feet  in  sheets  of  foam. 

September  27th. — The  fresh  wind  mentioned  in  my  last  date 
brought  us,  the  next  evening,  on  soundings  off  the  Rio  de  la 
Plata.     A  change  then  suddenly  occurred  with  every  indication 


94  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

of  heavy  weather.  The  mercury  in  the  barometer  fell  low ;  and 
during  the  night  there  was  heavy  rain,  with  a  good  deal  of  thun- 
der and  lightning,  while  meteors,  called  by  seamen,  compesant  — 
a  corruption  of  corpo  santo  or  holy  body — ^flitted  about  the  yard- 
arms  and  mast-heads  of  the  ship.  All  these  were  forerunners  of 
weather  more  like  a  gale  than  any  thing  experienced  since  leav- 
ing Norfolk :  indeed,  a  regular  pampero,  a  storm  of  wind  so  called 
from  the  pampas  or  boundless  plains  between  the  Rio  la  Plata 
and  Patagonia,  over  which  the  cold  south  and  south-west  winds 
from  the  polar  regions  sweep,  corresponding  in  force  and  temper- 
ature to  our  fiercest  north-west  winds  at  home.  The  storm  was 
not  of  long  continuance,  and  yesterday  afternoon  we  made  the 
land  near  Cape  St.  Mary,  the  northern  entrance  to  the  river. 
We  lay  off  shore  for  the  night,  and  sighting  the  land  again  this 
morning,  soon  after  made  the  little  islet  of  Lobos,  a  chief  land- 
mark in  entering  the  Plata  from  the  north,  seventy  miles  from 
Montevideo.  It  derives  its  name  from  the  multitude  of  seal  fre- 
quenting it.  Many  of  these  were  seen,  as  we  approached,  bask- 
ing on  the  rocky  shores  and  swimming  about  in  the  water.  A 
strong  and  offensive  odor  was  also  very  perceptible.  The  island 
is  a  governmental  possession  of  the  Republic  of  Uruguay,  but 
leased  for  a  long  term  of  years  to  a  gentleman  of  Montevideo, 
and  yields  a  handsome  income  in  skins  and  oil. 

The  river  is  here  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  wide.  Its 
northern  shore  only,  of  course,  is  visible.  This  is  low  and  sandy, 
marked  here  and  there  by  a  green  hillock.  With  a  glass,  great 
numbers  of  horses,  in  vast  droves  as  if  wild,  could  be  seen  graz- 
ing in  the  distance ;  also  the  church  towers  of  Maldonado,  the 
town  next  in  size  in  the  Republic  to  Montevideo.  From  all  we 
can  learn,  it  is  in  such  decay  and  depopulation  at  present,  that 
the  euphony  of  its  name  is  its  chief  attraction. 

Midway  between  the  island  of  Lobos  and  Montevideo  are  the 
highlands  of  Monte  Negro.  The  next  landmark  is  the  isle  of 
Flores,  surmounted  by  a  light-house,  fifteen  miles  distant  from  the 


MONTEVIDEO.  96 

anchorage.      This  light  we  are   in  momentary   expectation   of 
making. 

Montevideo^  October  1st. — On  the  night  of  the  29th  ult., 
after  having  run  a  sufficient  distance  beyond  the  light  of  Flores 
to  bring  us  abreast  of  Montevideo,  we  dropped  anchor  without 
having  caught  sight  of  any  shipping  in  the  roadstead,  or  discov- 
ering any  signs  of  the  town.  On  the  lifting  of  a  dense  fog  the 
next  morning,  the  first  objects  discernible  were  the  men-of-war  of 
a  French  squadron  about  five  miles  in  shore  of  us.  Shortly 
after,  the  Mount — a  conical  hill  situated  on  the  western  side  of  a 
circular  indenture  in  the  river,  constituting  the  harbor — which 
gives  name  to  the  place,  was  disclosed  ;  and  lastly,  the  town  itself 
on  a  point  opposite,  distant  from  it  a  mile  or  more,  in  a  direct 
line  across  the  water.  The  whole  landscape  is  as  difi"erent  as  pos- 
sible from  that  at  Rio  de  Janeiro.  It  is  low  and  level,  without 
rock  or  tree :  a  soft  verdure  covered  the  shore  and  gleamed  in 
the  sun,  like  so  much  velvet,  as  it  came  peering  on  the  eye 
through  the  fog  bank. 

The  Mount  is  an  isolated  hill  rising  gradually  and  regularly 

on  all  sides,  at  an  angle  of  45°,  to  a  height  of  480  or  90  feet. 

It  is  crowned  by  a  small  rectangular  fortress,  above  which  the 

lantern  of  a  pharos  rises  some  twenty  or  thirty  feet.     Being  in 

possession  of  a  besieging  force,  no  light  is  shown  from  it,  that 

additional  embarrassment  may  be  placed  on  the  commerce  of  the 

port.     Midway  between  the  Mount  on  the  west  and  the  town  on 

the  east,  a  smaller  hill  rises  two  or  three  miles  inland,  in  like 

manner  in  regular  lines  from  the  plain.     This  too  is  crowned 

B^     by  a  little  fort,  which,  like  the  other,  is  in  possession  of  the 

K   besieging  party.      It  is  called  the  "  Cerrito,"  or  little  hill,  in 

K    contradistinction  to  the  other,  known  as  the  "  Cerro,"  or  hill  par 

^    excellence.     The  town  is  situated  on  a  peninsula  of  tufa  rock,  a 

half  mile  in  length  by  a  quarter  in  width,  rising  gently  from  the 

water  on  three  sides  to  an  elevation  of  eighty  or  a  hundred  feet, 

much  in  the  shape  of  a  tortoise's  back.     From  a  distance  it  pre- 

K.  gents  a  mass  of  compactly  built,  white,  flat-topped  houses,  one 


96  BRAZIL    AND    LA   PLATA. 

and  two  stories  high,  of  Spanish  aspect,  with  multitudes  of 
small,  square  turrets  or  miradors  overtopping  them,  from  the  midst 
of  which,  on  the  central  height,  rise  the  lofty  roofs,  dome  and 
double  towers  of  a  cathedral. 

It  was  in  vain  we  searched  among  the  shipping  of  the  outer 
roads,  where  alone  there  is  sufficient  depth  of  water  for  a  frigate, 
for  the  broad  pennant  of  Commodore  Storer.  The  sloop-of-war 
St.  Louis,  however,  was  recognized  in  the  inner  harbor.  On 
communicating  with  her,  we  learned  that  the  Brandywine  had 
sailed  for  Rio  de  Janeiro  ten  days  ago,  again  leaving  orders  for 
the  Congress  to  follow.  Our  trip  has  thus  been  for  naught. 
We  sail  again  for  Brazil,  with  the  first  fair  wind,  and  I  shall 
defer  all  observation  in  the  city  to  the  more  favorable  oppor- 
tunities of  an  after  visit. 

The  general  view  around  us  is  more  homelike  than  any  thing 
seen  by  us  since  leaving  the  United  States.  The  growth  is  no 
longer  tropical.  The  sky,  the  temperature  of  the  air,  the  tinting 
of  the  clouds  at  sunrise  and  sunset  are  all  those  of  the  Northern 
States.  Yesterday,  the  Sabbath,  was  altogether  like  a  fine, 
bright,  fresh  and  transparent  day  in  October  on  the  Hudson ; 
though,  while  October  there  is  the  gradual  freshening  of  autumn 
into  winter,  here  it  is  the  softening  of  spring  into  summer.  The 
mercury  in  Fahrenheit  has  not  yet  fallen  below  50°  ;  still  the 
change  from  the  heat  of  Bio  was  felt  so  sensibly,  on  reaching  the 
latitude  of  the  river,  that  flannels,  cloth  clothes,  and  overcoats 
were  found  comfortable,  if  not  absolutely  necessary.  The  region 
of  the  La  Plata  is  famed  for  the  transparency  of  its  atmosphere 
in  fine  weather.  To  this  probably  is  to  be  attributed,  in  part  at 
least,  the  great  beauty  of  the  sunsets  at  this  place.  We  have 
been  delighted  by  two  already  gazed  on ;  the  one  remarkable  for 
the  exquisite  delicacy  of  its  tints  in  blue  and  gold,  amber,  pink 
and  pearl,  and  the  other,  equally  soft  and  beautiful  at  first,  but 
afterwards  gorgeous  to  sublimity,  from  the  reflections  in  crimson 
and  gold  of  a  canopy  of  fleecy  clouds  spread  widely  over  the 
heavens. 


SEA-BIRDS.  97 

■  At  Sea. 
October  12th. — We  made  an  attempt  to  leave  Montevideo 
on  the  2d  inst.,  but  succeeded  in  making  a  small  change  only 
in  our  anchorage.  At  the  end  of  three  days,  we  had  scarcely 
passed  the  island  of  Flores,  fifteen  miles  from  the  city,  though 
we  had  weighed  anchor  not  less  than  three  times  each  day  in  the 
hope  of  taking  a  final  departure.  The  difficulty  was  caused  by 
a  succession  of  calms,  thick  fogs,  head  winds  and  adverse  tides 
characteristic  of  the  season  here.  It  was  not  till  the  6th  that 
we  again  passed  Lobos  and  were  fairly  outside. 

Since  clearing  Cape  St.  Mary,  we  have  been  experiencing  all 
the  vicissitudes  of  the  sea  :  first  in  a  long  stretch,  off  our  course, 
far  to  the  south-east,  close  hauled  upon  a  head  wind  ;  and,  since 
the  9th  inst.,  when  this  changed  in  our  favor,  in  a  rapid  but  bois- 
terous run  of  more  than  half  the  distance  to  Rio  de  Janeiro. 
While  thus  careering  on  our  way,  in  addition  to  the  ever-varying 
rush  and  roar — the  cresting,  breaking  and  foaming  of  the  billows 
behind  and  around  us,  we  have  found  an  interesting  relaxation  on 
deck  in  watching  the  sportings  and  unwearied  movements  of 
unnumbered  sea-birds,  following  closely  in  the  broad  and  troubled 
wake  of  our  ship,  in  pursuit  of  the  fragments  of  food   thrown 
overboard  from  the  different  messes  at  all  hours  of  the  day.     It  is 
not  often  that  so  rich  a  windfall  as  the  waste  of  such  a  ship  falls 
to  their  lot.     To  this  fact  they  seem  fully  alive,  and  were  inde- 
fatigable  in  making  the  best  of  their  good  fortune.-     Amidst 
flocks  of  beautiful   Cape   pigeons,   outrivalling  in  numbers  the 
crows  of  Crum  Elbow  *  in  an  autumnal  evening,  were  to  be  seen 
the  gigantic    albatross,  sweeping  round   on  wide-expanded  and 
motionless  wing;   the  sea-mew  and  man-of-war  bird,   black  as 
ravens ;  the  booby,  and  any  quantity  of  the  stormy  petrel,  tread- 
ing the  water  more  confidently  and  more  securely  than  did  the 
unbelieving  Peter. 

*  A  well  known  point  on  the  Hudson  River,  overhung  by  precipitous  cliffs, 
a  favorite  resort  of  crows. 


S8  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

The  Cape  pigeon — Procellaria  Gapensis — ^is  beautiful  on  the 
wing  or  as  seen  tossing  gracefully  on  the  water.  Its  size  is  that 
of  a  large  dove.  Its  breast  is  snow-white,  with  back,  wings  and 
tail  of  slate  color,  thicklj  set  with  oval  spots  of  white,  having 
much  the  effect  on  the  eye  of  a  tasteful  dress  in  second  mourning. 
Several  were  taken  with  hook  and  line,  baited  with  pork,  and 
one  by  the  mere  entanglement  of  its  wings  in  a  line.  They  are 
not  so  pretty  or  symmetrically  formed,  on  close  inspection  as  at  a 
distance;  and  in  place  of  the  gentleness  of  the  dove,  which  they 
at  first  so  much  resemble,  are  as  snappish  and  resentful  in  spirit 
against  their  captors  as  the  most  carnivorous  of  their  species. 

The  2l\)2A,xo^s—Diomedia  Exulans — is  white,  with  wings 
and  back  varying  in  different  birds  from  black  to  a  light  brown. 
It  is  an  ugly-looking  bird,  about  the  size  of  a  domestic  goose, 
with  large  head  and  great  goggle  eyes.  The  wings  are  very 
long — from  eleven  to  fourteen  feet  from  tip  to  tip.  This  inter- 
feres much  with  the  facility  of  rising  when  seated  on  the  water. 
It  is  only  with  evident  effort  and  an  awkward  floundering  that 
they  mount  again  after  having  alighted ;  but  then,  it  is  a  wonder 
to  observe  the  ease  and  rapidity  of  their  flight,  and  their  ability, 
with  seemingly  motionless  wing,  to  sweep  in  wide  circuit  round 
and  round  the  ship,  and  still  keep  up  with  her  in  her  swiftest 
career;  and  this  day  after  day,  without  apparent  exhaustion  or 
fatigue,  though  sailing  at  the  rate  of  two  hundred  miles  and  more 
in  the  twenty-four  hours.  The  fiercer  the  winds  and  the  more 
tumultuous  the  towering  and  thundering  of  the  waves,  the  more 
joyous  are  their  sportings,  and  the  more  triumphant  their  mastery 
of  the  elements. 

The  booby  —  Sula  Bassana — is  somewhat  like  the  alba- 
tross in  general  appearance,  but  less  clumsy,  smaller,  more  angu- 
lar in  outline  and  pinion,  and  less  majestic  in  flight.  The  man- 
of-war  bird — Fregata  Pelicana — is  less  adventurous  in  its  wan- 
derings over  the  sea.  Its  form  is  more  that  of  the  eagle — hence 
one  of  its  names,  Tachy petes  Aquilas — with  long  feathers  on 
the  wings  and  tail,  and  its  color  a  jetty  black.     It  owes  its  English 


STORMY   PETEEL.  "99 

name  to  a  supposition  of  tlie  ignorant,  that  in  returning  to  the 
land  it  heralds  the  approach  of  a  i|)iip ;  hut,  only  from  the  fact 
that,  like  the  ship  it  seeks  the  shelter  of  the  port  on  the  approach 
of  a  storm,  and  makes  an  earlier  and  surer  arrival. 

The  most  constant  in  its  companionship  with  us,  in  every  lati- 
tude and  in  all  states  of  the  weather,  is  the  little  petrel — Thelas- 
sadroma  Pelagica — a  small  swallow-tailed  bird,  about  the  size, 
with  much  of  the  appearance,  of  the  common  house  martin. 
Wilson  in  his  ornithology  gives  a  graphic  description  of  these 
birds  as  seen  in  a  gale,  "  coursing  over  the  waves,  down  the 
declivities  and  up  the  ascents  of  the  foaming  surge,  that  threat- 
ens to  bury  them,  as  it  bursts  over  their  heads ;  sweeping  again 
through  the  hollow  trough  of  the  sea,  as  in  a  sheltered  valley, 
and  again  mounting  with  the  rising  billow,  skimming  just  above 
its  surface,  occasionally  dipping  their  feet  in  the  water  and  throw- 
ing it  up  with  additional  force :  sometimes  leaping,  with  their 
legs  parallel  on  the  surface  of  the  roughest  wave,  for  yards  in 
succession ;  meanwhile  continually  coursing  from  side  to  side  of 
the  ship's  wake,  making  excursions  far  and  wide  to  the  right  and 
to  the  left — ^now  a  great  way  ahead,  now  shooting  far  astern  and 
returning  again  as  if  the  vessel  was  stationary,  though  often  run- 
ning at  the  rate  of  ten  knots  the  hour." 

The  most  singular  faculty  of  these  birds,  however,  is  that  of 
standing,  and  of  running  on  the  face  of  the  water,  with  the  great- 
est apparent  facility.  When  any  greasy  matter  is  thrown  over- 
board they  instantly  collect  around  it  with  greedy  and  clamorous 
chatterings ;  and,  facing  to  the  windward,  with  their  long  wings 
expanded  and  their  little  webbed  feet  pattering  the  water,  eagerly 
seize  the  booty.  It  is  the  lightness  of  their  bodies  and  the  force 
of  the  wind  against  their  wings  that  enable  them  so  readily  to  do 
this.  In  calm  weather  they  perform  the  same  manoeuvre,  by 
keeping  their  wings  just  so  much  in  action  as  to  prevent  their 
feet  from  sinking  below  the  surface.  According  to  Buffon,  it  is 
this  habit  which  has  given  to  the  whole  genus  the  name  they  bear, 
from  the  walking  on  the  water  of  the  Apostle  Peter.     It  is  amus- 


100  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

ing,  and  partly  vexatious,  to  see  a  clumsy  albatross  or  great  booby 
come  swooping  down  among  them,  wbile  they  are  thus  collected 
around  their  food,  and,  flapping  them  away  with  its  monstrous 
wings,  at  one  mouthful  rob  them  of  a  whole  meal.  Greasy  sub- 
stances are  their  choicest  food,  and  their  little  bodies  become  a 
mass  of  oil :  so  much  so,  that  dried  and  strung  on  a  skewer,  they 
are  burned  on  some  of  the  islands  of  the  Atlantic  as  a  substitute 
for  candles. 

The  boisterousness  of  the  weather  has  made  the  frequent 
reduction  of  sail  necessary — at  times,  almost  to  bare  poles.  This 
has  afforded  a  more  than  ordinary  opportunity  of  witnessing  the 
exposure  and  daring  intrepidity  required  from  the  sailor  in  the 
discharge  of  his  duty.  The  taking  in  of  sail  and  the  reefing  of 
topsails  in  so  large  a  ship,  by  a  crew  of  four  hundred  men,  emu- 
lous of  excelling  in  skill  and  expertness,  is  an  exciting  scene 
even  in  a  moderate  breeze.  When  this  occurs  amidst  the 
rushing  winds  and  howling  storm,  with  such  masses  of  heavy 
canvas  as  compose  our  sails,  flapping  seemingly  in  unmanage- 
able force,  and  snapping  like  thunder  in  the  gale,  it  is  frightful  to 
look  aloft.  "While  the  masts  are  bending  to  the  wind  and 
the  ship  careening  in  the  water,  you  see  the  yards  covered  with 
hundreds  of  the  crew  with  no  guard  from  destruction  in  the  giddy 
height,  but  the  habit  of  keeping  their  feet  firmly  on  the  foot- 
ropes,  while  their  hands  and  arms  are  occupied  in  overcoming  the 
fearful  thrashings  of  the  sails,  and  in  gathering  in  the  canvas  and 
binding  it  down  with  the  reef-points.  Some  of  them  on  the 
upper  spars,  like  birds  in  the  topmost  branches  of  a  tree,  sweep 
to  and  fro  over  the  roaring  gulf  below;  and,  occasionally  a 
man  or  boy  is  beheld  clinging  to  a  slender  spar  or  single  sheet  at 
the  very  mast-head,  two  hundred  feet  from  the  deck,  disen- 
tangling a  halliard  or  conductor — causing  one's  nerves  to  shake 
under  the  apprehension  of  seeing  him  hurled,  in  some  pitch  or 
roll  of  the  frigate,  far  overboard  into  the  raging  sea,  or  dashed  to 
death  at  your  feet  on  deck. 


DYING   DOLPHIN.  101 

October  16th. — The  mountains  and  islets  around  tlie  harbor 
of  Rio  are  in  full  view,  and  I  will  close  this  section  of  my  record. 
In  doing  this,  I  must  follow  the  subject  matter  of  my  last  date — 
the  birds  of  the  sea — by  a  word  on  some  of  its  fishes.  In 
a  calm  yesterday  we  were  surrounded  by  a  great  number  of 
dolphin — CyropJicena  hippuris — certainly,  as  seen  moving  in  its 
blue  waters,  the  most  beautiful  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  deep. 
"When  full  grown,  it  is  from  two  to  three  feet  in  length,  elegant 
and  symmetrical  in  shape,  and  brilliant  in  colors :  the  prevailing 
hue  being  mazarine  blue,  or  Pompadour,  shading  from  the  back 
to  the  under  parts  into  emerald  and  gold,  with  fins  and  tail  of 
green  running  rapidly  into  a  bright  yellow.  Its  motions  are  easy 
and  graceful,  and  were  watched,  in  great  numbers,  under  the  ad- 
vantages of  a  smooth  sea  and  brilliant  sun.  Polphin  are  so 
common  in  all  tropical  latitudes,  and  so  frequently  seen,  that  I 
might  not  have  thought  of  taking  note  of  them  in  this  instance, 
but  for  an  assertion  respecting  them  recently  met  in  a  book  on 
natural  history,  which,  emanating  from  a  fellow  of  Oxford,  ought 
to  be  of  good  authority.  After  stating  the  fact  that  the  shape  of 
this  fish,  as  given  in  heraldic  and  classic  representations,  is  entirely 
poetical  and  untrue,  the  author — Wood — adds :  "  indeed  almost 
the  whole  history  of  the  dolphin  is  imaginary — very  poetical,  but 
very  untrue.  The  red  and  blue  of  the  heraldic  lion  are  not  less 
fabulous  than  the  changing  colors  of  the  dying  dolphin,  so  dear 
to  poetry.  Alas !  our  unpoetical  dolphin,  when  we  have  har- 
pooned him  and  brought  him  to  the  deck  is  only  black  and  white, 
and  all  the  change  that  he  makes  is  that  the  black  becomes 
brown  in  time,  and  the  white  gray."  This  assertion  I  know,  from 
personal  observation  in  company  with  many  witnesses,  to  be  an 
error.  In  the  first  voyage  I  ever  made,  I  had  an  opportunity  of 
observing  and  admiring  the  varying  and  beautiful  colors  of  the 
dolphin  while  dying ;  and  now,  fully  proved  to  myself  the  truth- 
fulness of  the  record  of  it  then  made.     Mr.  G ,  secretary  to 

our  commander-in-chief,  caught  one  with  a  hook  and  line,  a,nd 


102  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

quickly  drew  him  over  the  stern  on  deck.  I  happened  to  be 
present,  and,  though  the  dying  throes  even  of  a  soulless  fish  can 
scarcely  be  looked  on  without  sympathy,  the  effect  on  its  coloring 
could  not  be  watched  without  admiration.  The  first  change 
which  took  place,  after  the  fish  reached  the  deck,  was  of  the  whole 
surface  into  a  bright  yellow  or  gold,  spotted,  like  the  speckled 
trout,  with  deep  blue ;  then  the  whole  became  blue  again,  the 
spots  of  a  deeper  hue  still  remaining  distinctly  marked ;  a  third 
change  was  into  a  pure  and  spotless  silver,  over  which  prismatic 
colors,  like  those  in  an  opal  under  a  shifting  light,  passed  rapidly 
and  tremulously  for  a  few  moments,  when  the  beautiful  dolphin 
became  brown  and  gray  like  any  other  dead  fish. 

It  is  possible  that,  when  struck  with  a  harpoon,  the  violence 
of  the  shock  may  be  such  as  to  produce  death  so  suddenly  that 
these  changes  have  passed  away,  before  the  fish  can  be  drawn  on 
board,  as  their  duration  is  but  momentary.  Either  this  is  the 
truthy  or  Mr.  Wood  is  not  authority  in  the  case.  You  may  still 
believe  therefore  that 

"  The  dolphin,  'mid  expiring  throes, 
More  exquisite  in  beauty  grows, 

As  fades  the  strength  of  life  : 
And  tintings  bright  of  sapphire  blue, 
And  rainbow  lights  of  every  hue 
More  exquisite  each  moment  shew, 

As  fainter  grows  the  strife." 

Portuguese  men-of-war — Physalia  jphysalis — have  also  been 
floating  past  us.  These  are  moluscae  with  long  feelers,  and  fur- 
nished with  an  air-bag  which  they  have  the  power  of  inflating  at 
pleasure  when  moving  on  the  surface.  This  is  provided  with 
apertures  at  either  end,  by  which  they  can  expel  the  air,  or  take 
in  sail,  as  a  seaman  would  say,  when  they  wish  to  sink.  This  air 
bag,  when  inflated,  is  of  an  oval  shape,  and  of  the  tenuity  almost 
of  a  soap-bubble,  and  exhibits  like  it,  though  in  stronger  shades, 
many  of  the  hues  of  the  prism.    The  beauty  discoverable  in  many 


POKTUGUESE    MAN-OF-WAR.  '  103 

of  these  animals  is  said  by  naturalists  to  equal  any  thing  in  or- 
ganic nature. 

A  passage  in  Montgomery's  Pelican  Island  applied  to  the 
convoluted  nautilus,  which  rises  and  floats  on  the  surface  of  the 
water,  but  spreads  no  sail,  is  perhaps  more  truthfully  descriptive 
of  this  man-of-war  : 

"  Light  as  a  flake  of  foam  upon  the  wind, 
Keel  upwards,  from  the  deep  emerged  a  shell, 
Shaped  like  the  moon  ere  half  her  horn  is  filled  ; 
Fraught  with  young  life,  it  righted  as  it  rose. 
And  moved  at  will  along  the  yielding  water. 
The  native  pilot  of  this  little  bark, 
Put  out  a  tier  of  oars  on  either  side  ; 
Spread  to  the  wafting  breeze  a  two-fold  sail, 
And  mounted  up,  and  glided  down  the  billow 
In  happy  freedom,  pleased  to  feel  the  air, 
And  wander  in  the  luxury  of  light." 

Should  you  be  disposed  to  think  that  such  commonplace 
observations  indicate  the  tedium  and  monotony  of  sea  life — 
the  paucity  of  its  resources  for  occupation  and  amusement — and 
are  not  worth  the  time  required  for  the  record,  I  must  take 
shelter  from  the  reproach  in  the  example  of  a  voyager  no  less 
illustrious  than  Humboldt,  who,  at  the  end  of  forty  years,  con- 
fesses to  the  delight  still  afforded  by  reminiscences  of  such  pastime 
on  the  sea.  True,  we  may  not,  like  him,  mingle  our  admiration 
with  thoughts  of  deep  philosophy,  or  make  our  observations  sub- 
servient to  generalizations  in  science ;  still,  we  can  take  equal 
delight  in  the  varied  phenomena  of  the  sea,  and,  in  humble  adora- 
tion, thus  "  look  through  nature  up  to  nature's  God,"  and  rejoice 
in  the  infinitude  and  perfection  of  his  manifold  works. 


CHAPTER     IX. 


Kio  DE  Janeiro. 


October  20fh. — On  entering  the  harbor  on  the  16th  inst.  the 
lofty  masts  of  the  Brandywine  were  soon  descried  through  a  mist 
and  vapor  which,  to  a  great  degree,  enshrouded  the  general 
scenery.  Hauling  down  our  broad  pennant  of  blue,  while  yet 
three  or  four  miles  distant,  that  of  Commodore  Storer  was 
saluted  by  us,  and  one  of  red  was  run  up  to  the  masthead  of  the 
Congress.  To  this  only  Commodore  McKeever  is  entitled  in  the 
presence  of  a  superior  in  command.  The  Brandywine  at  once 
returned  the  salute,  and,  soon  afterward,  greeted  our  arrival  with 
"  Hail  Columbia  "  from  a  band,  as,  passing  alongside  of  her,  we 
dropt  anchor  under  her  stern. 

The  early  return  of  the  Congress  was  quite  a  surprise,  the  Bran- 
dywine herself  having  but  just  arrived.  We  had  made  the  trip 
down  and  back  again  in  the  same  number  of  days — eighteen — 
which  had  been  occupied  by  her  in  the  one  passage.  Though  a 
surprise,  it  was,  however,  a  greater  joy  to  her  officers  and  crew. 
They  are  more  than  three  years  from  home,  and  have  long  been 
waiting  a  relief.  Moreover,  Commodore  Storer  had  given  Jhe 
assurance,  before  we  were  sighted,  that  they  should  be  under  way, 
homeward-bound,  the  next  day  but  one  after  the  Congress  should 
arrive.  True  to  his  word,  his  anchors  were  up  with  the  early 
dawn  of  the  18th  inst.     The  departure,  with  its  associations,  was 


CITY    PALACE.  105 

quite  an  exciting  scene.  The  mist  and  fog  of  tlie  two  preceding 
days  had  disappeared,  and  the  whole  panorama  of  city  and  bay 
was  in  the  perfection  of  its  beauty  in  light,  shades,  and  coloring. 
As  with  the  first  rays  of  the  sun^  the  frigate  swung  from  her 
moorings,  the  Congress  gave  a  salute.  With  the  first  echoings  of 
this,  her  rigging  was  filled  by  the  crew,  clustered  together  like 
bees  in  a  swarm,  sending  forth  three  cheers  for  the  homeward- 
bound,  with  a  feeling  and  will  that  swept  every  chord  of  the 
heart.  Then  came  "  Hail  Columbia  "  from  our  band :  the  whole 
quickly  followed  by  the  salute,  the  cheers,  and  the  music  of 
"  Home,  sweet  home,"  from  the  Brandywine.  By  this  time 
she  was  completely  enveloped  in  a  broad  and  lofty  pyramid  of 
convoluting  and  pearly  smoke,  beautifully  illumined  by  the  sun. 
I  thought  it  a  good  time  to  bid  her  adieu,  while  thus  lost  to 
sight  in  a  glory  of  her  own  creation,  and  descending  to  my  state- 
room, left  her  to  make  her  way  out  of  the  harbor  as  she  best 
could. 

The  19th  inst.  was  a  court-day  at  the  palace.  Commodore 
McKeever  availed  himself  of  it  for  a  presentation  to  the  Emperor 
and  Empress,  as  the  new  commander-in-chief  of  the  United  States 
Naval  Force  on  this  station.  I  made  one  of  his  suite ;  and  left 
the  ship  at  noon  for  the  ceremony,  with  a  party  of  ten,  including 
Lieutenant  McKeever  of  the  U.  S.  army,  a  son  of  the  commodore, 
who,  on  furlough  for  six  months  after  service  in  Florida,  came  to 
Brazil  in  the  Congress  on  a  visit  to  a  brother  connected  with  a 
principal  mercantile  house  in  Rio. 

The  palace  fronts  immediately  upon  the  chief  .landing-place, 
a  few  hundred  yards  only  from  the  water.  It  is  an  old  building, 
originally  the  viceregal  residence,  appropriated  to  the  court  of 
Portugal  on  its  immigration  in  1808.  It  is  of  stone,  stuccoed 
and  painted  yellow,  in  part  two  and  in  part  three  stories  in 
height,  and  without  architectural  pretension.  The  front,  occupied 
on  the  ground  floor  by  a  vestibule  leading  to  the  grand  staircase, 
is  scarce  a  hundred  feet  in  width ;  but  the  building,  enclosing  a 
small  quadrangle  in  the  centre,  runs  back  along  the  public  square, 
5* 


106  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

about  five  or  six  hundred  feet  to  the  Rue  Direita.  Over  this 
a  gallery — thrown  from  the  second  story — communicates  with 
a  still  older  range  of  structures  on  that  street,  at  right  an- 
gles with  the  other,  extending  also  some  five  or  six  hundred 
feet  to  the  royal  library  and  imperial  chapel,  both  appendages  of 
the  palace.  The  rooms  of  state  and  the  throne-room  occupy  the 
whole  length  of  the  second  floor,  on  the  side  overlooking  the 
square ;  and  the  imperial  apartments  and  private  rooms  the  whole 
of  that  on  the  other  side  of  the  quadrangle.  The  only  use  made 
of  the  palace  is  for  receptions,  at  levees  and  drawing-rooms,  and 
the  giving  occasionally  of  a  state-ball :  the  family  seldom  if  ever 
lodge  in  town.  Having,  in  September,  twice  witnessed  the  ar- 
rival of  the  Emperor  and  Empress  in  state,  from  their  residence 
at  Boa  Vista,  I  lost  nothing  of  the  usual  spectacle  on  court-days, 
by  not  being  on  shore  in  time  for  this,  on  the  present  occasion. 
In  both  instances  I  happened  to  be  crossing  the  square,  when  the 
approach  of  the  cortege  was  signalled  by  a  call,  from  bugle  and 
drum,  for  the  guard  and  bands  in  attendance  to  turn  out  for  the 
reception.  The  degree  of  state  and  the  splendor  of  equipage 
vary  on  different  occasions.  Sometimes  mules  only  are  driven ; 
sometimes  horses  only — sometimes  both  attached  to  different 
carriages.  The  general  display,  at  all  times  of  ceremony,  is  much 
the  same  as  that  described  at  the  prorogation  of  the  legislature, 
a  month  ago.  As  the  cavalcade  approaches,  the  halberdiers  with 
their  battle-axes  at  rest,  form,  in  single  lines,  on  either  side  of 
the  principal  entrance,  through  the  vestibule  to  the  foot  of  the 
grand  staircase.  No  objection  was  made  to  my  taking  a.  position, 
almost  in  a  line  with  these,  and  within  touching  distance  of  their 
majesties  as  they  passed.  On  the  drawing  up  of  the  carriages 
at  the  entrance,  the  great  officers  of  the  household  and  ministers 
of  the  empire  descending  from  the  waiting-rooms,  form  a  line  on 
either  side,  within  those  of  the  guard,  from  the  carriage  door  to 
the  staircase.  Immediately  on  the  alighting,  a  kissing  of  hands 
by  these  is  commenced.  The  Emperor,  a  step  or  two  in  advance 
of  the  Empress,  presents  his  right  hand  for  this  purpose,  first  on 


SCENES   AT   COURT.  107 

one  side  and  then  on  the  other,  the  Empress  following  in  the 
same  manner  with  a  constant  short  and  quick  bow  of  the  head,  and 
an  expression  of  great  kindness  and  henignancy.  Both  occasion- 
ally extend  a  hand  beyond  the  courtiers  to  individuals  among  the 
halberdiers  on  the  qui  vive  for  the  honor.  As  they  thus  pass, 
the  grandees  of  the  court  close  in  after  them,  and  the  ladies  and 
gentlemen  in  attendance,  and  in  procession,  mount  the  broad  stair- 


This  guard  of  halberdiers  is  not  of  hireling  soldiery,  but  of 
volunteers  of  respectability  from  the  middle  ranks  of  life  in  the 
city ;  and  the  indulgence  accorded  by  them  of  so  near  an  approach 
of  spectators  as  was  allowed  me,  affords  an  opportunity  for  many 
a  poor  subject  to  place  a  petition  in  the  hands  of  the  Emperor  or 
Empress,  without  the  intervention  of  an  official  or  courtier.  I 
was  pleased  with  the  readiness  and  condescension  with  which  two 
or  three  were  received  by  the  Emperor,  from  women  of  the 
humblest  class  in  evident  distress,  and  were  placed  in  the  crown 
of  his  chapeau,  while  kisses,  tears,  and  thanks  were  showered  on 
his  hand. 

On  entering  the  palace  we  were  received  by  Mr.  Tod,  the 
American  ambassador,  in  the  diplomatic  saloon — the  richest  of 
the  apartments  excepting  the  throne-room.  The  imperial  party 
were  in  the  chapel  at  mass.  Mr.  Tod  proposed  to  conduct  us 
there,  by  the  corridor  over  the  Rua  Direita,  and  we  followed  him 
in  that  direction,  through  a  long  succession  of  rooms,  till  met  by 
several  of  the  foreign  ministers  returning  with  the  report,  that 
the  diplomatic  tribune  in  the  chapel  was  undergoing  some  repairs, 
and  was  closed.  We  therefore  retraced  our  steps  to  await  the 
close  of  the  religious  service.  This  was  not  long  ;  and  Don  Pedro 
and  Donna  Theresa,  followed  by  some  twenty  or  thirty  attendants, 
soon  made  their  appearance  on  their  way  through  the  long  suite 
of  rooms  to  the  audience  chamber.  The  court  dress  of  the  ladies 
here,  as  in  Russia,  is  a  uniform  :  a  white  brocade  embroidered  in 
gold,  train  of  green  velvet  with  corresponding  embroideries,  and 
head-dress  of  ostrich  plumes  and  diamonds.     This  is  a  sensible 


108  BRAZIL   ANB   LA  PLATA. 

regulation  promotive  of  economy,  "by  an  avoidance  of  tlie  rivalry 
in  expense  and  display,  among  the  ladies,  though  at  a  sacrifice  of 
the  picturesque,  from  variety  in  taste  and  elegance  in  such  a 
spectacle.  Among  the  ladies  in  attendance  was  one  more  than 
eighty  years  of  age,  a  venerable  condessa,  who  accompanied  the 
royal  family  from  Portugal  in  1808,  and  has  been  a  leader  of  the 
fashion  in  the  court  circles,  through  the  change  of  four  dynasties, 
to  the  present  time. 

The  Emperor  led  the  suite  a  little  in  advance  of  the  Empress. 
He  is  in  stature  truly  a  splendid  specimen  of  humanity.  The 
maturity  of  his  countenance,  as  well  as  figure,  leads  to  a  supposi- 
tion of  his  being  full  ten  years  older  than  he  really  is.  An  im- 
perturbable gravity  and  unbending  dignity  contribute  to  this  im- 
pression. 

The  diplomatic  corps  and  our  party  fell  into  line  on  one  side 
of  the  room,  and  saluted  the  Emperor  and  Empress  as  they  passed 
by  a  bow,  receiving  a  stately  return  from  each,  accompanied  by 
a  very  decided  look  of  scrutiny  at  such  as  were  perceived  to  be 
strangers.  A  long  range  of  apartments  was  to  be  passed 
through,  before  reaching  the  throne-room,  and  it  was  some 
minutes  before  a  chamberlain  announced  to  Mr.  Tod — the  senior 
ambassador  in  residence,  and  thus  entitled  to  lead  the  diplomatic 
procession — ^that  their  majesties  were  on  the  throne. 

The  intervening  rooms  were  thronged  with  Brazilians,  repre- 
senting in  strong  force  the  church,  the  army,  the  navy  and 
judiciary,  with  many  in  civil  life,  in  distinctive  uniforms  and 
varied  court  dress ;  but  I  missed  in  the  throng  much  of  the  pic- 
turesque variety  noticed  in  1829.  There  were  now  no  barefooted 
friars  nor  mendicant  monks — ^no  Augustines  in  white,  nor  Fran- 
ciscans in  gray,  with  corded  belts  and  dangling  cross  and  rosary. 
It  was  manifest  that,  at  court  at  least,  the  monkish  days  are  past : 
the  high  dignitaries  of  the  church  in  purple  and  scarlet,  in  satins 
and  lace,  were  the  only  representatives  of  the  religious  orders. 

The  state  apartments  in  general  appeared  naked  and  unattrac- 
tive compared  with  the  recollections  of  1829.     The  best  paintings 


PRESENTATION.  109 

have  been  removed ;  one  or  two  only  worthy  of  attention  remain. 
One,  the  martyrdom  of  St.  Sebastian,  is  impressive,  and  the  work 
of  a  master  in  the  art.  There  are  also  some  good  battle-pieces 
illustrative  of  Portuguese  history,  in  the  olden  times.  The  two 
largest  pictures  represent  respectively  the  coronation  of  Don 
Pedro  I.,  and  the  marriage  of  the  present  Emperor  and  Empress. 
They  are  coarse  and  inartistic  in  execution,  but  valuable  from  the 
number  of  portraits  they  contain,  the  principal  figures  introduced 
being  from  sittings  to  the  painter  of  the  personages  delineated. 

The  throne-room  is  a  large  and  magnificent  apartment,  the 
predominating  colors  in  the  finish  and  furniture  being  green  and 
gold.  The  lofty,  vaulted  ceiling,  among  other  embellishments  in 
fresco,  presents  medallion  portraits,  real  or  fictitious,  of  all  the 
sovereigns  of  the  House  of  Braganza,  from  the  establishment  of 
the  kingdom  of  Portugal  to  the  present  time. 

The  occasion  of  the  court  was  the  anniversary  of  the  marriage 
of  their  majesties,  and  the  address  of  congratulation,  from  the 
diplomatic  corps,  devolved  on  Mr.  Tod.  Entering  the  room  with 
a  bow, — followed  by  those  to  be  presented  by  him — he  advanced 
midway  from  the  door  to  the  throne,  where  making  another  bow, 
he  took  his  station,  with  our  party  grouped  around.  He  con- 
cluded his  speech  of  felicitation  by  adding,  that  "  Commodore 
McKeever,  on  assuming  the  command  in  chief  of  the  U.  S.  Naval 
Force  on  this  station,  availed  himself — with  the  officers  of  his  ship 
— of  the  opportunity  for  a  presentation  to  their  majesties.  The 
Emperor's  reply  in  Portuguese  was  brief,  and  of  course  courteous. 
Immediately  on  its  close,  a  band  in  the  vestibule  struck  up  the  na- 
tional air :  and  filing  oif  before  the  throne,  we  each  in  succession 
bowed  respectively  to  the  Emperor  and  Empress,  and  moving  back- 
ward in  a  semicircular  sweep  from  the  door  by  which  we  had  en- 
tered, bowed  ourselves,  through  another  corresponding  to  it,  from 
the  presence  to  an  ante-room.  Being  in  clerical  robes,  I  might 
perhaps  have  claimed  the  privilege  of  a  straightforward  exit.  It 
is  said  that,  owing  to  the  fall  backwards,  in  the  royal  presence,  of 
a  bishop-legate  from   Rome — a  hundred  and  more  years  ago — 


110  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

from  treading  on  the  tail  of  his  gown,  in  retreating  from  the 
throne  at  a  levee  in  Lisbon,  a  permit  was  issued  excusing,  there- 
after, all  clergy  in  robes  from  the  established  etiquette.  Not 
having  ascertained  however  whether  the  privilege  had  been  trans- 
mitted to  the  court  of  Brazil,  I  thought  it  most  safe  to  con- 
form to  the  general  usage,  though  at  the  risk,  in  accomplishing 
a  distance  of  forty  or  more  feet  in  the  manner  of  a  crab,  of  suf- 
fering a  disaster  similar  to  that  of  the  bishop. 

The  rest  of  the  foreign  ministers  and  their  suite  followed  us 
rapidly.  After  these  came  the  hundreds  of  Brazilians,  according 
to  their  rank  and  precedence,  each  kneeling  on  a  step  of  the 
throne  and  kissing  the  extended  hand  of  their  sovereigns :  a 
ceremony  which,  between  wedding-days  and  birth-days,  saints' 
days  and  days  of  independence  occurs,  on  an  average,  at  least 
once  a  month  during  the  whole  year. 

This  bow  before  the  throne  will  doubtless  be  the  nearest 
approach  to  personal  intercourse  with  their  majesties  that  I  shall 
enjoy ;  and  I  may,  at  once,  in  connection  with  it,  give  such  intel- 
ligence, in  regard  to  them,  as  I  have  derived  from  those  having 
the  best  opportunities  for  correct  information  on  the  subject. 
Their  personal  appearance  I  have  before  described.  The  power 
vested  in  the  Emperor  by  the  constitution  is  very  limited : 
almost  nominal  indeed,  with  less  influence  through  the  right  of 
appointments  and  political  patronage  in  general,  than  is  possessed 
by  the  President  of  the  United  States.  So  carefully  restricted 
and  so  jealously  guarded  are  the  prerogatives  of  the  throne,  that 
the  abuse  of  them,  by  despotic  rule  or  usurpation,  would  be  im- 
practicable. The  hereditary  descent  of  the  crown  is  the  strongest 
monarchical  feature  in  the  government :  and  it  is  to  this  alone, 
doubtless,  that  Brazil  is  indebted  for  an  exemption  from  the 
anarchy  and  bloodshed  which  have  proved  so  destructive  to  the 
advance  of  liberty  and  civilization,  in  all  sections  of  South 
America.  While  it  places  an  effectual  check  upon  the  reckless 
ambition  of  selfish  politicians  and  patriots,  falsely  so  called,  it 
forms  a  point  of  permanency  around  which  the  wise  and  good 


IMPEKIAL  FAMILY.  Ill 

may  rally,  in  the  support  and  in  the  defence  of  true  liberty.  It 
is  not  impossible  that  the  constitutional  restrictions  resting  on 
the  Emperor,  and  an  accompanying  feeling  of  irresponsibility,  may 
cause,  in  some  degree,  the  seeming  nonchalance  which  marks  his 
air  and  deportment  in  public,  and  also  induce  to  some  extent,  at 
least,  to  the  quietude  and  seclusion  of  his  ordinary  life.  From 
all  I  learn,  nothing  can  be  more  simple  and  domestic  than  the 
habits  of  himself  and  family.  The  library,  and  its  cabinets,  the 
pleasure-grounds  and  gardens  of  San  Christovao,  chiefly  oc- 
cupy their  leisure-time,  and  are  principal  sources  of  their  happi- 
ness. 

Prudent  and  high-minded  as  a  ruler,  cultivated  and  accom- 
plished as  a  scholar,  benevolent  as  a  man,  and  pure  and  irre- 
proachable as  a  husband  and  father,  the  Emperor  is  justly 
regarded  with  honor  and  affection  by  his  people;  while  the 
Empress,  no  less  exemplary  in  all  the  relations  of  life,  through 
her  amiability  and  kindness  of  heart  shares  largely  with  him  in 
general  popularity  and  good  will. 

The  annual  stipend  of  the  Emperor  is  four  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  and  the  allowance  to  the  Empress  fifty  thousand.  The 
civil  list  is  small,  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  household 
being  few  in  number.  They  live  with  prudence  and  economy ; 
seldom  entertain  except  by  an  occasional  ball  at  the  palace  in 
town.  With  the  lessons  on  the  vicissitudes  of  empire  and  the 
instability  of  thrones,  so  frequently  given  in  these  modern  times, 
it  is  wise  in  them  thus  to  husband  their  resources,  and  to  familiar- 
ize themselves  of  choice  with  habits  of  life  which,  by  possibil- 
ity, may  yet  become  those  of  necessity.  They  have  already 
been  afflicted  by  the  loss  of  two  or  three  children;  one,  the  Prince 
Imperial  and  heir  to  the  crown.  Though  two  young  princesses 
are  left  to  them,  this  may  have  had  a  chastening  effect  on  their 
hopes  in  life,  by  placing  the  succession  in  a  female,  and  thus 
rendering  the  perpetuity  of  their  dynasty  less  certain,  than  if 
there  were  a  male  heir  to  the  empire. 

It  must  not  be  inferred  from  what  I  have  stated  of  the  out- 


112  BRAZIL   AND  LA  PLATA. 

ward  bearing  of  the  Emperor,  or  of  his  liabits  in  private  life,  that 
he  takes  no  interest  in  the  policy  of  the  government  or  active 
part  in  its  executive  administration.  While  content  under  the 
constitutional  restrictions  of  his  power,  and  with  the  prerogatives 
accorded  to  the  throne,  he  holds  his  position  and  exercises  his  in- 
fluence firmly  and  with  a  noble  regard  to  what  he  believes  to  be 
the  highest  interest  of  the  nation ;  and  gives  the  strength  of  a 
mind,  endowed  with  more  than  ordinary  natural  gifts,  to  the 
promotion  of  measures  calculated  to  advance  the  honor,  dignity 
and  prosperity  of  the  empire.  This  has  been  strikingly  manifested 
recently,  in  successful  efforts  to  persuade  those  around  him  of 
paramount  influence  in  the  various  provinces,  of  the  evil  and 
reproach  of  a  continued  connivance — in  disregard  of  national  faith 
given  by  treaty — at  the  slave  trade,  and  of  the  ultimate  in- 
evitable disadvantage  and  disaster  to  the  country  of  a  more  ex- 
tended slave  population.  So  zealously  and  so  wisely  has  he 
urged  his  views  of  public  policy  on  this  point — though  in  the  face 
of  long-established  national  prejudice  as  to  the  necessity  of  slave 
labor — that  the  legislature,  sustained  in  the  measure  by  their  con- 
stituents, have  pronounced  the  slave  trade  piracy,  and  enacted 
rigorous  penal  laws  against  it.  This  has  been  accomplished 
by  demonstrating  to  the  agriculturists  of  the  empire,  the  • 
economy  and  advantages  of  free  labor,  through  colonization  from 
Europe,  over  that  of  slaves,  and  by  enactments  for  the  en- 
couragement of  immigration  from  abroad.  This  is  a  most  im- 
portant and  most  desirable  step  forward  in  national  good,  and  is 
sufficient  alone  to  mark  the  reign  of  the  young  monarch  with 
true  and  enduring  honor. 

October  22d. — Night  before  last,  while  walking  the  poop-deck, 
just  before  our  usual  evening  worship,  I  met,  engaged  in  some 
momentary  duty  there,  a  young  man  named  Ramsey,  whose  frank 
and  open-hearted  face,  bright  smile,  and  confiding  look  and  manner 
towards  me  had  long  ago  attracted  my  notice,  and  led  to  more 
familiar  intercourse  with  him  than  with  most  others  of  the  crew. 
Stout  in  figure,  and  strong  and  muscular   n  limb,  he  might  have 


CASE   OF   ILLNESS.  113 

been  selected  as  a  personification  of  health  and  buoyant  youth. 
In  various  conversations  I  had  learned  something  of  his  history : 
the  place  of  residence,  circumstances,  and  position  in  life  of  his 
parents  and  family.  He  had  been  religiously  trained,  was  a  tee- 
totaler in  principle  and  practice  from  the  example  of  his  father, 
and,  so  far  as  I  could  learn,  free  from  the  open  vices  which  too 
often  degrade  the  sailor. 

In  addition  to  the  prepossession  in  his  favor,  from  an  attractive 
exterior,  and  from  the  promptness  and  activity  with  which  he 
was  observed  to  discharge  his  duty,  he  had  early  won  the  praise 
and  good  will  of  all  on  board,  both  officers  and  men,  by  saving, 
at  the  risk  of  his  own  life,  that  of  a  small  boy,  who  fell  overboard 
from  the  Congress  when  at  anchor  in  the  stream  at  Norfolk. 
The  boy  could  not  swim,  and  a  strong  tide  was  carrying  him  rapidly 
away  when  Hamsey  jumped  after  him  and  succeeded  in  sustain- 
ing him  half-drowned,  till  both  were  rescued  by  a  boat. 

A  few  evenings  ago  I  had  observed  that  one  of  his  eyes  was 
inflamed  and  swollen  from  a  cold,  and,  now,  in  reference  to  this, 
asked  him  if  he  were  well  again.  "Oh,  yes,  sir — all  right — 
never  better  in  my  life,"  was  his  reply,  as  with  his  accustomed 
bright  smile  he  passed  down  to  the  quarter-deck,  where  his  ship- 
mates were  assembling  for  prayers. 

My  usual  time  for  exercise  on  shore  is  in  the  afternoon,  but 
yesterday,  being  engaged  to  the  Commodore  at  a  dinner  given  by 
him  to  the  British  admiral  and  family,  I  took  the  morning  for  a 
walk.  On  coming  on  board  ship  at  three  o'clock.  Dr.  Williamson, 
the  fleet  surgeon,  mentioned  to  me  that  one  of  the  crew  had  been 
taken  ill  with  symptoms  of  the  cholera.  It  was  but  a  moment 
after  hearing  the  name — Ramsey — in  answer  to  the  question  who 
it  was  ?  before  I  was  beside  his  cot  on  the  berthdeck.  He  had 
been  relieved  from  cramp  and  pain,  by  the  treatment  adopted ;  the 
pulse  which  had  intermitted  was  restored,  and  he  supposed  to  be 
altogether  better.  It  was  not  yet  twenty  hours  since  I  had  met 
him  seemingly  in  the  fullest  health ;  but  how  altered  now,  and 
how  utterly  prostrate  !    He  looked  rather  than  spoke  his  gladness 


114  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

at  seeiDg  me,  and  listened  to  my  conversation  with  interest 
and  satisfaction.  It  was  evident  that  he  was  still  under  great 
physical  oppression,  and  though  endeavoring,  occasionally,  to  rally 
his  spirits,  was  dejected  and  sad — his  eyes  filling  with  tears  as  he 
pressed  again  and  again  the  hand  I  had  given  to  him  at  first, 
and  which  he  continued  to  retain  in  his  own  as  I  remained  by  his 
side  for  a  couple  of  hours,  attempting  to  soothe  him  by  words  of 
consolation  and  by  whispered  prayer. 

The  sympathies  which  had  been  awakened  by  this  unexpected 
scene  forbade  any  enjoyment  of  the  party  in  the  cabin,  and  at 
the  earliest  moment  practicable  I  excused  myself  from  the  table 
and  returned  to  the  poor  fellow,  not  to  leave  him  again  till  he 
should  be  out  of  danger.  He  was  much  in  the  state  in  which  I 
had  left  him :  had,  if  any  thing,  a  stronger  pulse  and  more  natural 
state  of  the  general  surface.  I  again  conversed  tenderly  with 
him  and  encouraged  him  to  look  in  penitence  and  faith  to  Him 
from  whom  alone  help  cometh  in  time  of  trouble.  I  never  wit- 
nessed greater  submission  and  patience,  and  the  tones  of  his  voice 
and  whole  manner  were  as  gentle  as  a  lamb.  In  seeming  apology 
for  the  irresistible  depression  he  felt,  though  he  considered  him- 
self to  be  relieved  and  better,  he  said  to  me  with  a  look  and  accent 

I   cannot   soon   forget — "  Oh !   Mr.    S ,    I  was  never   sick 

before,  and  it  makes  me  too  down-hearted — too  down-hearted  !  " 
Poor  fellow  !  who  under  the  same  circumstances  would  not  have 
been  down-hearted — stricken  down,  in  an  hour  as  it  were,  from 
the  very  fulness  of  health  and  strength,  and  in  the  bloom  and 
buoyancy  of  early  manhood,  to  the  feebleness  of  the  merest  infant, 
and  to  the  very  borders  of  the  grave  ! 

The  surgeons  had  told  me  that  every  thing  in  his  case  de- 
pended upon  the  fidelity  of  those  in  attendance  upon  him  to  the 
directions  given ;  and  that  there  should  be  no  failure  here,  I  at 
once  took  the  place  of  nurse  in  administering  the  prescriptions, 
and  gave  myself  entirely  to  him.  As  the  night  wore  away  I 
could  not  discover  the  change  for  the  better  I  wished,  though  I 
was  not  conscious  of  any  for  the  worse.     Dr.  Howell,  the  assistant 


FIEST   DEATH   ON   BOARD.  115 

surgeon,  who  visited  him  every  two  hours,  encouraged  me  to  con- 
tinued vigilance  and  hope.  One,  among  other  injunctions  from 
the  surgeons,  was  on  no  account  to  give  any  water  to  the  patient, 
and  only  occasionally  a  mouthful  of  a  tea  prepared  for  the 
purpose.  But  he  longed  for  water,  and  at  one  time  well-nigh 
overcame  my  purpose  of  rigid  obedience  to  the  orders  given.  He 
had  been  almost  covered  with  cataplasms,  and  had  on  him  besides 
two  or  three  large  blisters ;  and  the  tenderness  of  his  entreaty 
in  gentle  Scotch   dialect,  after  having  been  once  refused — as  he 

looked  up  with  pleading  eyes  and  said,  "  Oh !  Mr.  S ,  one 

wee  drop,  for  I  am  all  on  fire  !  "  touched  my  very  heart.  Poor 
fellow  !  from  the  best  of  motives  and  iu  the  hope  of  soon  seeing 
him  better  I  reasoned  with  him  and  persuaded  him  to  submission : 
but  now  lament  it.  The  indulgence  would  have  given  him  tem- 
porary comfort  and  could  have  done  him  no  harm  :  for  in  a  short 
time  afterwards  a  return  of  cramps  threw  him  into  convulsions, 
and  I  saw  that  the  stroke  of  death  had  been  given.  Unwilling 
unavailingly  to  watch  the  rapid  changes  which  betokened  too 
surely  the  flight  of  the  soul,  with  the  hand  which  so  often  during 
the  day  and  the  night  by  its  warm  pressure  had  given  assurance 
of  the  comfort  imparted  by  my  presence  still  clasping  mine,  I 
kneeled  by  his  cot,  now  surrounded  by  the  surgeons  and  many  of 
his  messmates,  and  in  tears  and  in  strong  though  silent  supplica- 
tion plead  with  Him  who  alone  is  mighty  to  save,  to  spare  the 
immortal  spirit  of  the  dying  man  from  the  sorrows  of  the  second 
death.  I  do  not  recollect  ever  to  have  been  sensible  of  a  nearer 
access  by  faith  to  the  only  Hearer  of  prayer,  and  never  saw  more 
clearly  how  it  is  possible  for  Him,  in  the  sovereignty  and  bound- 
less riches  of  his  grace,  in  the  eleventh  hour  even  to  have  "  mercy 
on  whom  he  will  have  mercy."  At  four  o'clock  this  morning, 
he  gently  breathed  his  last  without  a  struggle  or  a  groan. 

Such  is  the  first  of  death's  doings  among  us,  and  such  was  the 
last  on  earth  of  this  poor  sailor  boy.  I  am  devoutly  thank- 
ful that  though  he  died  in  a  foreign  land  far  from  his  home, 
I  have  it  in  my  power  to  assure  those  who  most  loved  him,  that 


116  BRAZIL   AND  LA  PLATA. 

while  all  was  done  that  the  highest  professional  skill  could  devise 
to  save  him,  but  in  vain,  he  did  not  die  uncomforted,  unprayed 
for  or  unwept. 

His  funeral  took  place  this  afternoon.  Captain  McIntDsh, 
with  the  Christian  kindness  of  heart  characteristic  of  him,  led  the 
procession  in  his  gig — the  flag  of  the  Congress,  as  well  as  those 
of  the  boats  leaving  the  ship,  being  at  half  mast.  The  body  was 
buried  in  the  beautiful  cemetery  of  Gramboa, 

"  where  palm  and  cypress  wave 
On  high,  o'er  many  a  stranger's  grave, 
To  canopy  the  dead  ;  nor  wanting  there 
Flowers  to  the  turf,  nor  fragrance  to  the  air." 


CHAPTER    X. 

Bio  db  Jakeibo. 

November  2d. — This  is  "  All  Souls  day,"  an  anniversary  of 
the  church  of  Rome  in  commemoration  of  the  dead,  when  masses 
are  specially  said  for  the  repose  of  their  souls ;  or,  as  an  Irish 
servant,  in  explaining  its  character  to  me,  says,  "  the  day  when  all 
the  dead  stand  round  waiting  for  our  prayers."  It  is  one  on 
which  here,  as  in  other  Catholic  countries,  the  living  also  visit  the 
tombs  of  their  departed  friends.  As  the  observance  is  universal, 
and  all  the  churches  are  open,  we  thought  it  a  good  opportunity, 
not  only  for  viewing  the  interior  of  the  principal  edifices  them- 
selves, but  also  for  observations  of  the  people  ;  and  a  party  left 
tho  ship  for  this  purpose  early  after  breakfast. 

The  number  of  churches  in  the  city  amounts  to  forty-five  or 
fifty.  Scarce  a  half  dozen  of  them,  however,  are  worthy  of 
notice  either  for  their  external  architecture  or  internal  decorations 
in  sculpture  and  paintings,  especially  to  those  familiar  with  the 
treasures,  in  these  respects,  of  the  churches  of  Italy,  Spain,  and 
other  European  countries.  The  imperial  chapel  and  a  church 
adjoining  it,  formerly  belonging  to  the  barefooted  Carmelites, 
and  now  a  cathedral ;  the  church  of  the  Candelaria,  so  named 
from  its  being  the  chief  place  for  the  consecration  of  candles  on 
Candlemas  Day  ;  and  that  of  San  Francisco  de  Paulo  at  the  head 
of  the  Rua  de  Ouvidor,  are  the  principal. 


k 


118  BRAZIL   AND  LA  PLATA. 

Having  been  told  that  the  Emperor  and  Empress  would  attend 
mass  at  the  church  of  San  Antonio,  where  the  remains  of  their 
infant  children  are  deposited,  we  made  our  way  first  there.  This 
church  is  attached  to  the  convent  of  that  name,  and  forms  one  end 
of  the  extensive  and  imposing  establishment  which  so  conspicu- 
ously crowns,  with  its  lofty  and  massive  walls,  and  terraced 
gardens  and  shrubberies,  the  hill  to  which  it  gives  name  in  the 
centre  of  the  city.  The  broad  platform  in  front  of  the  church 
and  convent,  paved  and  parapetted  with  stone,  commands  mag- 
nificent views  of  the  city  and  bay ;  as  does  the  entire  front  of  the 
convent.  This  is  three  stories  in  height,  with  a  tier  of  balconied 
windows  running  the  whole  length  of  each.  Within,  each  story 
opens  upon  a  cloistered  quadrangle ;  while  the  church  with  two 
or  three  smaller  chapels,  various  vesting  rooms,  sacristies  and 
corridors  form  another  end  of  the  pile.  Every  part  of  the 
building  on  this  occasion  was  open  to  inspection.  The  floors  of 
the  corridors  surrounding  the  quadrangle,  and  those  of  the 
churches  and  chapels  are  formed  of  loose  planks,  six  feet  in  length 
and  of  the  width  of  a  grave ;  each  being  fitted  with  a  mortised 
hole  at  one  end,  that  it  may  be  the  more  readily  lifted  for  the 
deposit  beneath  of  body  after  body  of  the  dead :  so  that  none  walk 
here  without  literally 

"  Marking  witli  each  step  a  tomb." 

That  which  first  arrested  the  eye  on  entering  was  the  range,  on 
either  side  through  the  church,  chapels  and  corridors,  of  miniature 
cabinets,  urns  and  sarcophagi  of  ebony  and  other  valuable  wood, 
containing  the  bones  of  the  dead  thus  preserved,  after  having 
been  freed  from  the  flesh  by  the  action  of  quicklime.  These 
receptacles  are  of  various  sizes,  forms  and  degrees  of  elaborate 
workmanship.  Each  bears  a  plate  of  silver  or  gold  with  an  in- 
scription, and  is  furnished  with  a  door  which  gives  access  to 
the  ghastly  memorials.  They  were  arranged — some  on  rich  tables 
and  platforms  and  others  on  the  pavement  and  floor — with  more 


ALL    SOULS   DAY.  119 

or  less  display  of  ornament:  lighted  wax  candles  in  massive 
candlesticks  of  silver,  interspersed  in  some  instances  with  other 
pieces  of  silver  plate,  were  clustered  around  them,  and  the  whole 
garlanded  and  festooned  with  wreaths  of  the  purple  globe  ama- 
ranthus  and  other  flowers  of  the  tribe  "immortelle."  Each 
cabinet,  or  urn,  was  in  charge  of  a  well-dressed  negro  servant  or 
other  humble  domestic  of  the  family  to  whom  the  relics  apper- 
tained. I  was  forcibly  reminded  by  the  scene  of  the  custom  of 
the  Sandwich  Islanders,  in  their  heathen  state,  of  preserving  the 
bones  of  the  dead  in  a  similar  manner.  It.  was  this  usage,  and 
the  care  and  veneration  with  which  the  relics  of  their  monarchs  and 
chiefs  were  guarded,  that  enabled  Rihoriho — Kamehameha  II— 
to  restore  to  England,  on  his  visit  to  that  country  in  1825,  the 
skeleton  of  Captain  Cook.  After  his  assassination  the  principal 
bones  of  his  body  were  prepared  according  to  their  custom,  and 
placed  with  those  of  their  race  of  kings. 

The  principal  church  and  the  adjoining  chapels  were  decorated 
profusely  with  artificial  flowers,  and  with  hangings  of  silk  and 
velvet,  and  of  gold  and  silver  tissue ;  the  high  altars,  shrines, 
tribunes,  and  organ-lofts  of  all  were  one  blaze  of  wax  lights.  One 
of  the  chapels  is  covered  throughout  with  elaborate  carvings 
in  wood  trebly  gilt.  In  the  centre  of  this  a  lofty  catafalque  was 
erected,  surmounted  by  a  colossal  sarcophagus  covered  with  a 
superb  pall.  A  mass  was  in  progress  as  we  entered  ;  after  which 
a  procession  of  monks  headed  by  a  party  of  ecclesiastics — each 
bearing  a  wax  candle  of  the  size  and  length  of  a  stout  walking 
stick,  and  all  vociferating  a  chant — marched  slowly  from  chapel 
to  chapel,  and  from  shrine  to  shrine,  through  the  corridors  lined 
with  the  memorials  of  the  departed,  ^topping  at  various  points  to 
scatter  incense  and  utter  prayers  for  the  dead.  Every  spot  was 
thronged  with  spectators ;  but  I  could  detect  no  feeling  of  devo- 
tion, no  sensibility  in  the  aff'ections,  no  solemnity  in  any  one.  The 
only  object  of  the  assemblage  seemed  to  be  to  witness  a  show,  and 
to  examine  with  the  curiosity  observable  at  a  fair,  or  the  ex- 
hibition of  an  institute,  the  varied  ornamental  display.     Three 


120  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

fourths  of  the  crowd  were  negroes,  male  and  female.  Here  and 
there,  in  two  or  three  instances,  I  recognized  a  party  of  ladies  in 
full  dress  in  black  with  mantillas  of  lace,  but  a  majority  of  the 
Brazilians  and  Portuguese  present  was  evidently  of  the  lower 
orders.  We  afterwards  entered  the  churches  of  San  Francisco  de 
Paulo,  the  Candelaria  and  the  Carmelites,  where  the  bishop  of 
Rio  was  officiating,  but  without  witnessing  any  thing  essentially 
different  from  what  we  had  already  seen. 

All  observation  of  the  day  confirms  me  in  the  impression 
before  received,  that  a  great  change  has  taken  place,  since  1829,  in 
the  respect  paid  by  the  people  to  the  superstitious  ceremonies  of 
the  religion  of  the  country.  There  is  now  little  in  the  general 
aspect  of  things  in  the  streets,  even  on  days  of  religious  festivals, 
to  remind  one  of  being  in  a  Romish  city.  A  monk  or  even 
ecclesiastic  is  scarce  ever  met,  and  whenever  I  have  entered  a 
church  during  service,  a  few  poor  negroes,  sick  persons,  and 
beggars  have  constituted  the  principal  part  of  the  assemblage. 

November  4th. — I  have  just  accomplished  quite  a  pedestrian 
feat,  in  the  ascent  of  the  Corcovado.  After  two  days  of  such 
rain  as  the  tropics  only  often  witness,  the  weather  this  morning 
was  as  fine  as  possible,  the  atmosphere  clear  and  transparent,  very 
like  the  most  brilliant  days  of  June  in  the  Northern  States,  when  the 
wind  is  from  the  north-west.  Lieutenant  R ,  Mr.  G (secre- 
tary of  Commodore  McKeever),  Prof  Le  Froy  of  the  British  flag 
ship,  and  I,  were  induced  by  it  to  attempt  the  excursion,  though  it 
was  not  in  our  power  to  set  off  before  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
— a  late  hour  for  the  accomplishment  of  a  walk  of  nine  miles,  to 
the  top  of  a  mountain,  two  thousand  three  hundred  and  six  feet 
high,  according  to  the  measurement  of  Beechy,  and  two  thousand 
three  hundred  and  thirty-nine,  by  that  of  Captains  King  and 
Fitzroy. 

The  Corcovado  is  one  of  the  lofty  shafts  of  granite  which,  in 
a  greater  or  less  degree  of  isolation,  are  characteristic  of  the 
geological  formation  in  this  region.  Its  relative  position  to  the 
range  of  mountains  of  which  it  forms  so  conspicuous  a  part,  and 


I 


ASCENT  OF  THE  COKCOVADO.  12t 

the  height  to  which  it  towers  above  it,  can  best  be  compared, 
perhaps,  to  a  colossal  buttress  standing  against  a  massive  building, 
with  a  pinnacled  top  rising  high  above  the  adjoining  roof.  As 
looked  up  to,  from  its  eastern  base  in  a  green  valley  by  the  sea- 
side, it  appears,  as  it  there  really  is,  an  utterly  inaccessible  mass 
of  perpendicular  rock.  On  the  west,  however,  it  is  so  joined  to 
an  angle  of  the  general  range  for  two  thirds  of  its  height,  as  to 
be  comparatively  easy  of  ascent.  The  first  half  of  the  distance 
from  the  city  may  be  made  by  either  of  two  ways:  the  one, 
through  the  valley  of  the  Larangeiras,  and  the  other,  by  the  spur 
of  mountain  along  which  the  aqueduct  descends  into  the  heart  of 
the  town,  near  the  nunnery  of  Santa  Theresa.  We  chose  this 
last.  At  the  outset,  the  ascent  is  a  sharp  pitch,  but  after  gaining 
a  height  of  one  or  two  hundred  feet,  is  so  gradual  for  four  miles 
as  scarcely  to  be  perceptible.  The  way  leads  along  the  flattened 
ridge  of  the  hill  by  a  bridle  path  immediately  beside  the  aque- 
duct, the  refreshing  sound  of  whose  waters,  as  they  murmur  and 
rumble  in  their  covered  channel,  is  a  pleasant  accompaniment  to 
the  sea-breeze  sweeping  by.  It  is  overhung  by  embowering  trees 
which,  while  they  form  a  screen  against  the  sun  overhead,  are 
too  lofty  to  interfere  by  their  branches  with  a  full  view  of  the 
prospects  on  either  hand.  These,  for  the  whole  distance,  surpass  in 
beauty  and  variety  any  of  a  similar  nature  I  recollect  ever  to  have 
met.  As  we  gradually  gained  terrace  after  terrace  of  the  spur,  the 
pictures  opening  immediately  beneath  us  in  the  ravines  on  the  right 
— up  which  the  suburbs  straggle  in  tasteful  dwellings  and  bloom- 
ing gardens ;  in  the  broad  and  bright  valley  of  Engenho  Velho  be- 
yond, thickly  sprinkled  with  the  country  residences  of  the  wealthy, 
and  adorned  by  the  imperial  palace  ;  in  the  city  itself — the  upper 
bay  and  its  islands ;  the  Organ  Mountains  and  whole  panorama, 
are  beyond  the  powers  of  description.  At  the  end  of  two  and  a 
half  or  three  miles,  the  aqueduct,  sinking  to  a  level  with  the 
surface  of  the  ground,  crosses  the  ridge  which  it  has  thus  far  been 
following,  and  leaving  the  course  of  this,  runs  along  the  face  of 
the  mountain  at  an  elevation  of  a  thousand  feet.  The  pathway 
6 


122  BRAZIL  AND   LA   PLATA. 

follows  it,  and  I  can  compare  the  suddenness  in  the  change  of  the 
prospect  to  nothing  that  will  give  a  better  idea  of  it,  than  a  new 
combination  in  a  kaleidoscope,  by  a  turn  of  the  instrument.  It 
is  entire.  By  a  single  step,  as  it  were,  in  place  of  the  above 
pictures,  which  are  at  once  lost  sight  of,  you  have  the  southern 
sections  of  the  city — G-loria  Hill,  Flamengo,  Cat^te,  Larangieras 
and  Botafogo,  the  lower  bay  with  its  moving  imagery,  the  Sugar 
Loaf  and  its  companion  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbor,  the  islets  in 
the  offing  and  along  the  coast,  and  the  boundless  sea.  The  walk 
for  a  mile  here,  with  this  picture  beneath  you  on  one  side,  and 
the  beautifully  wooded  mountain  cliffs  above,  on  the  other,  is  a 
terraced  avenue  worthy  of  fairy  land  itself.  Of  it  Dr.  Walsh 
justly  remarks — "  Without  exaggeration,  it  maybe  said,  that  there 
is  not  in  the  world  so  noble  and  beautiful  a  combination  of  nature 
and  art,  as  the  prospect  it  presents." 

Five  miles  from  the  city,  near  a  natural  reservoir  in  a  ledge 
of  granite  where  the  aqueduct  originally  commenced,  the  direct 
pathway  to  the  summit  leaves  the  water-course  and  strikes  steeply 
Tip  the  mountain.  Here  it  is  stony  and  rough,  and  was  now  wet 
from  the  recent  rain.  The  angle  of  elevation,  equal  to  that  of 
an  ordinary  staircase,  made  the  ascent  fatiguing :  but  it  is 
adorned  at  points  by  noble  specimens  of  the  primeval  growth  of 
the  forest,  reminding  me  of  the  finest  of  the  old  elms  occasionally 
left  standing  by  the  pioneer  settlers  in  Western  New  York,  as  I 
recollect  to  have  been  impressed  by  them  thirty  years  ago.  A 
mile  and  a  half  through  this  wood  brought  us  to  a  clearing  of 
some  extent,  with  a  rancho  or  cottage,  formerly  a  place  of  refresh- 
ment for  those  making  the  ascent.  It  has  been  purchased 
recently  by  the  Emperor,  and  the  land  is  designed  by  him  for  a 
plantation  of  foreign  pines  and  other  evergreens,  which  he  is 
introducing.  It  lies  in  a  dip  or  notch  between  the  general  chain 
of  mountains  and  the  peak  of  the  Corcovado ;  and  the  cottage,  in 
full  view  from  the  city  and  harbor,  forms  a  picturesque  object 
from  the  anchorage  of  the  Congress,  though  seemingly,  in  its  airy 
height,  but  a  bird's  nest  clinging  to  the  wooded  cliffs. 


I 


PANORAMIC    VIEW.  123 

Here  the  ascent  of  the  Corcovado  proper  commences — the 
distance  to  the  summit  about  two  miles.  The  way  is  steep  and 
wearisome,  especially  after  so  forced  a  march  over  the  preceding 
part,  as  we  had  made ;  but  we  pressed  on,  notwithstanding  the 
heat  and  fatigue,  cheered  by  the  exhortation  and  promise  of  the 
poet — 

"Let  thy  foot 
Fail  not  from  weariness,  for  on  the  top 
The  beauty  and  the  majesty  of  earth 
Spread  wide  beneath,  shall  make  thee  to  forget 
The  steep  and  toilsome  way.     There  thy  expanding  heart 
Shall  feel  a  kindred  with  that  loftier  world, 
To  which  thou  art  translated,  and  partake 
The  enlargement  of  thy  vision." 

In  less  than  three  hours  from  the  city,  the  bare  peak  rose 
directly  before  us — a  pinnacled  platform  of  rock  scarcely  twenty 
feet  square,  separated  from  the  general  mass  by  a  broad  and  deep 
fissure,  over  which  a  rude  wooden  bridge  is  thrown.  As  the  peak 
has  been  known  to  be  frequently  struck  by  lightning,  it  is  supposed 
that  this  chasm  was  originally  caused  by  a  thunderbolt.  A 
rail,  supported  by  iron  posts  soldered  into  the  solid  granite,  fur- 
nishes a  guard  on  three  sides  to  the  precipices  descending  perpen- 
dicularly from  them. 

The  panorama  commanded  by  it,  embracing  as  it  does  all  the 
imagery  that  combines  in  securing  to  Rio  de  Janeiro  its  world- 
wide celebrity  for  wonderful  beauty,  could  not  fail — ^under  the 
advantages  of  the  brilliant  atmosphere,  bright  sunshine  and 
lengthened  shadows  in  which  we  gazed  on  it — to  meet  our  expecta- 
tions. The  entire  city  and  its  suburbs  lay  at  our  feet ;  and,  like 
a  map,  the  bay — near  a  hundred  miles  in  circuit — its  many 
picturesque  headlands  and  islands  and  the  Organ  Mountains  and 
chain  along  the  coast,  the  peak  of  Tejuca,  the  Sugar  Loaf  reduced 
to  insignificant  dimensions,  the  Gavia,  the  outer  islets  and  the 
illimitable  sea  !  The  silence  one  is  disposed  to  keep,  in  view  of 
such  a  scene  from  such  a  point,  best  expresses  perhaps  the  kind 


124  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

of  admiration  felt.  Had  Bryant  in  an  inspiration  of  his  genius 
stood  with  us,  he  might  possibly  have  given  utterance  to  a  de- 
scription more  sublime  but  to  none  more  graphic  or  minutely 
true  to  the  scene,  than  one  already  recorded  by  his  pen — 

"  Steep  is  the  western  side,  shaggy  and  wild, 
With  mossy  trees,  and  pinnacles  of  flint, 
And  many  a  hanging  crag.     But  to  the  East, 
Sheer  to  the  vale,  go  down  the  bare  old  cliffs — 
Huge  pillars,  that  in  middle  heaven  up  hear 
Their  weather-beaten  capitals,  here  dark 
With  moss,  the  growth  of  centuries,  and  there 
Of  chalky  whiteness,  where  the  thunder  bolt 
Has  splintered  them.     It  is  a  fearful  thing 
To  stand  upon  the  beetling  verge,  and  see 
Where  storm  and  lightning,  from  that  huge  gray  waU, 
Have  tumbled  down  vast  blocks,  and  at  the  base 
Dashed  them  in  fragments,  and  to  lay  thine  ear 
O'er  the  dizzy  depth,  and  hear  the  sound 
Of  winds  that  struggle  with  the  woods  below, 
Come  up  with  ocean  murmurs." 

There  is  danger,  in  the  impressiveness  of  a  scene  of  such 
mingled  beauty  and  sublimity,  of  forgetting  the  risk  of  taking 
cold,  even  in  the  finest  weather — after  the  unavoidable  heat  and 
temporary  exhaustion  of  the  ascent — from  the  reduced  temperature 
of  the  elevation,  and  the  freshness  of  the  sea-breQze  sweeping  over 
and  around  the  rock  in  strong  eddies.  But  reminded  of  this  by 
a  sense  of  chilliness,  and  aware  of  the  lateness  of  the  day,  at  the 
end  of  a  half  hour — grateful  for  the  favorable  auspices  under 
which  we  had  enjoyed  the  view — we  gave  a  farewell  gaze  and 
turned  our  faces  for  the  descent. 

I  omitted  to  state  that,  before  reaching  the  plantation  of 
the  Emperor  in  the  dip  of  the  mountains,  we  had  again  fallen 
upon  the  line  of  the  aqueduct.  At  this  point  it  passes  to  the 
southern  side  of  the  range,  which  here  makes  an  angle  in  that 
direction ;   and  Mr.  Lefroy,  familiar  in  his  walks  with  all  the 


I 


SOURCES   OF    THE   AQUEDUCT.  125 

region,  proposed  that  before  descending  we  should  follow  it 
at  least  a  short  distance :  with  the  assurance  that  we  would 
find  it  equal,  in  picturesque  wildness  and  beauty,  to  any 
thing  we  had  yet  seen.  Though  already  pretty  well  fagged, 
and  a  walk  of  seven  miles  yet  to  be  made  in  reaching  the  city, 
we  readily  assented ;  and  most  amply  indeed  were  we  rewarded. 
The  scenery  on  every  hand — above,  beneath  and  around  us^  in 
the  strong  contrasts  of  bright  sunshine  and  deep  shade,  was  like 
pictures  of  fancy,  with  a  variety  and  richness  of  foliage  to  be 
found  only  in  the  tropics.  The  aqueduct  and  path  beside  it, 
scarped  on  the  very  face  of  the  precipitous  mountain,  wind  round 
the  head  of  a  deep  glen,  at  an  elevation  of  two  thousand  feet 
above  the  valleys  beneath  and  the  surf  of  the  ocean ;  and  com- 
mand uninterrupted  views,  far  and  wide,  over  land  and  sea,  of 
indescribable  beauty  and  grandeur.  Parasitical  plants  and  run- 
ning vines  add  to  the  rich  drapery  of  the  woods  overhead  and 
beneath  the  feet,  and  hang  in  long  pendants  from  the  rocks  and 
in  festoons  from  tree  to  tree,  while,  here  and  there,  the  tree  fern — 
a  novelty  to  me  till  now — rises  rankly  to  a  height  of  twenty  and 
thirty  feet :  throwing  out  its  closely  feathered  leaves  in  an 
umbrella-shaped  top,  proportionate  in  size  to  the  height  of  the 
stem. 

Tempted  from  point  to  point,  by  one  new  object  of  admiration 
or  another,  we  were  led  two  miles  amid  this  luxury  of  beauty 
before  aware  of  it,  almost  to  the  very  sources  of  the  work.  At 
one  point,  from  the  impossibility  of  securing  space  in  the  face  of 
the  precipice  for  stone  work,  the  water  is  led  along  in  small 
wooden  troughs,  and  the  footpath,  constructed  of  planks  supported 
by  strong  bolts  of  iron  fastened  into  the  rook,  is  suspended  in 
the  air,  with  a  frightful  depth  beneath.  There  is  no  partic- 
ular spring  or  fountain  head,  from  which  there  is  a  supply  of 
water,  but  from  the  beginning  of  the  aqueduct,  the  smallest 
streamlet  that  trickles  down  the  mountain  summit  is  carefully 
collected  by  side  troughs,  and  the  drippings  of  every  crevice, 
as  well  as  the  gushings  of  more  abundant  springs,  fully  secured. 


126  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

This  aqueduct  is  a  magnificent  work  for  the  period  at  which 
it  was  constructed — a  hundred  and  thirty  years  ago.  It  is  of 
solid  granite  with  a  semicircular  bottom  for  the  water-course, 
and  is  four  feet  in  width  and  the  same  in  height ;  at  places 
entirely  above,  and  at  others  partially  beneath  the  ground.  It 
is  capped  with  granite  in  the  form  of  a  roof,  is  furnished  with 
ventilators  protected  by  iron  gratings  at  regular  intervals,  and  is 
accessible  for  the  use  of  the  water  at  different  points,  by  doors 
under  lock  and  key.  The  honor  of  having  projected  and  accom- 
plished so  important  a  work  is  due  to  Albuquerque,  captain- 
general  of  the  province  at  the  period — 1719-23.  A  record  of 
this  is  made  on  a  tablet  on  the  front  of  the  fountain  of  the  Carioca, 
near  the  convent  of  San  Antonio,  above  which  is  the  reservoir  in 
which  the  work  terminates.  The  inscription  is  of  a  rudeness 
of  outline  and  execution  characteristic  of  the  art  of  writing  in 
Brazil  a  century  ago ;  and  undecipherable,  except  by  an  anti- 
quarian like  Dr.  Walsh,  familiar,  from  his  favorite  studies,  with 
the  abbreviations  and  readings  without  a  division  into  syllables 
and  words,  of  olden  times. 

The  following  is  the  translation  of  this  inscription  as  given  by 
Dr.  Walsh.  "  In  the  reign  of  the  high  and  powerful  king  Don 
John  the  Fifth,  Ayres  de  Saldanha  and  Albuquerque,  being 
governor  and  captain-general  of  this  place,  by  his  directions  this 
work  was  made,  which  was  begun  in  the  year  1719  and  completed 
in  the  year  1723." 

The  most  magnificent  and  costly  section  of  the  aqueduct — 
and  one  which  the  now  well-known  principle  in  hydraulics,  that 
water  will  rise  to  the  level  of  its  head,  shows  to  have  been  useless 
both  in  labor  and  expense — is  a  lofty  arcade,  a  conspicuous  orna- 
ment of  the  city,  by  which  the  aqueduct  is  carried  across  a  deep 
valley  from  the  hill  of  Santa  Theresa  to  that  of  San  Antonio 
opposite.  It  consists  of  two  ranges  of  arches  one  above  the 
other,  the  lower  six  hundred  and  the  upper  eight  hundred  and 
forty  feet  in  length,  and  forty  feet  in  height.  Next  to  the  Roman 
remains  of  the  Pont   du   Garde  in   Languedoc,  the   aqueduct 


DESCENT    FROM    THE     CORCOVADO.  127 

across  the  Alcantara  at  Lisbon,  and  the  High  Bridge  at  Harlem, 
it  is  the  finest  structure  of  the  kind  I  have  seen. 

It  was  near  sundown  before  we  reluctantly  turned  our  backs 
upon  the  surprising  beauty  which  still  enticed  us  forward.  By  a 
forced  march  we  accomplished  the  stony  and  staircase  descent 
through  the  woods,  while  there  was  yet  sufficient  daylight  to  make 
good  our  footsteps  over  the  rough  and  slippery  way.  Safely  at 
this  point,  though  the  night  soon  gathered  around  us,  we  had  no 
difficulty  in  keeping  the  path  under  the  brilliant  starlight  of  the 
evening,  and  reached  the  city  at  eight  o'clock,  having  accomplished 
the  trip  of  twenty-two  miles  in  six  hours. 


CHAPTER    XI 


ElO  DE  Janeieo. 


Novemher  9th. — Saturday  more  than  any  other  is  a  day 
trying  to  my  spirits.  It  is  that  which  I  appropriate  to  special 
preparation  for  my  professional  duties  on  the  Sabbath  ;  and  with 
it,  the  hardness  and  seeming  barrenness  of  my  field  of  labor  is, 
unavoidably,  brought  painfully  to  view.  The  moral  condition 
of  our  ship  is  equal,  probably,  if  not  in  advance  of  that  of  men- 
of-war  in  general,  in  our  own  or  any  other  service ;  and  the  dis- 
cipline and  general  order  on  board  good.  Indeed,  we  regard  our- 
selves, and  are  regarded  by  others  around  us,  in  these  respects  as 
a  peculiarly  favored  and  a  happy  ship.  But  mere  external  pro- 
priety of  conduct  does  not  satisfy  my  expectation,  or  meet  my 
hopes.  I  look  for  evidences  of  higher  results,  from  the  preaching 
of  the  Gospel  and  other  means  of  religious  influence  established 
among  us',  but  look  in  vain ;  and  instead,  especially  when  in  port, 
find  daily  discouragements  which  would  lead  a  spirit,  less  elastic 
than  my  own,  utterly  to  despair  of  being  instrumental  in  any 
spiritual  good. 

During  the  last  fortnight,  the  crew  in  successive  detachments 
have  been  on  shore,  on  a  general  liberty  of  forty-eight  hours. 
The  drunkenness  and  debauchery  of  many,  incident  to  this^ 
unavoidably  obtruded  on  my  notice  in  a  greater  or  less  degree, 
have  filled  my  heart  with  sadness,  and  my  lips — at  the  end  of  a 


PRISONS   AND    PRISON    DISCIPLINE.  129 

ministry  of  six  months — with  the  desponding  language  of  the 
prophet,  "  Who  hath  believed  our  report  V  and  to  whom  hath  the 
arm  of  the  Lord  been  revealed  ?  "  This  has  not  escaped  the 
observation  of  the  men  themselves,  and  yesterday,  one  of  them  as 
spokesman  of  a  group  with  whom  I  fell  into  conversation,  said  to 

me — "  We  are  afraid,  Mr.   S ,  that  you  will  become  so 

disgusted  with  our  wickedness  that  you  will  leave  the  ship,  and 
give  us  up  to  the  devil  altogether :  but  we  hope  not."  To  do 
this  would  be  to  act  the  part  of  a  coward  and  a  traitor ;  and 
knowing  in  whom  alone  is  the  sufficiency  for  these  things,  I  must 
still  labor — bear  and  forbear — preach  with  fidelity  and  love,  pray 
without  fainting,  and  hope  against  hope. 

The  privileges  of  the  shore  over,  all  were  settling  down  into 
customary  contentment  and  quietude  when,  by  some  means  last 
evening,  a  large  quantity  of  strong  drink  was  successfully  smuggled 
into  the  ship.  There  is  ever  in  a  man-of-war  a  greater  or  less 
degree  of  unmitigated  rascality  which,  on  such  occasions,  does 
not  fail  to  manifest  itself,  giving  the  executive  of  the  ship  an 
abundance  of  trouble,  and  bringing  reproach  upon  the  better  por- 
tions of  the  crew.  The  consequence  of  the  successful  strategy  was 
a  good  deal  of  disorder  last  night  among  "  the  baser  sort "  of  the 
ship's  company,  and  a  nervous  headache  and  a  heartache  this 
morning  to  me. 

One  result  of  the  liberty  on  shore,  was  the  incarceration  for 
drunkenness  and  riotous  conduct,  of  a  half  dozen  or  more  of  our 
men,  in  the  calabouqa  or  common  jail  of  the  city.  An  early 
intimation  of  the  dilemma  in  which  these  were  placed  reached 
me,  with  an  appeal  for  aid  in  procuring  their  release.  A  visit  to 
them  for  this  purpose,  gave  me  the  opportunity  of  a  personal 
inspection  of  the  prison.  While  confessing  and  lamenting  the 
folly  which  had  brought  them  there,  they  complained  most 
grievously,  as  well  they  might,  of  the  horrible  place.  It  is  time 
indeed  for  some  Howard  to  arise  in  Brazil ;  and  I  rejoice  to  learn 
that  the  state  of  her  prisons  and  the  subject  of  prison  discipline, 
or  rather  the  fact  of  an  utter  want  of  all  discipline,  is  attracting 
6* 


130  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

the  attention  of  some  of  her  philanthropists  and  statesmen.  Our 
fellows,  at  the  end  of  two  or  three  days,  were  almost  starved.  No 
food  is  served  to  the  prisoners  by  authority.  They  are  entirely 
dependent  on  their  own  resources,  the  kindness  of  any  friends 
they  may  happen  to  have,  or  the  supplies  furnished  gratuitously 
by  some  of  the  brotherhoods  of  benevolence  in  the  city.  I  found 
those  from  the  Congress — chargeable  only  with  having  broken  the 
peace  in  a  drunken  brawl — in  a  filthy  room  of  horrible  smells, 
crowded  with  eighty  or  a  hundred  felons,  black,  white  and  colored 
of  every  hue.  Among  these  were  robbers,  and  murderers,  and 
criminals  of  the  most  desperate  character  :  without  classification 
in  age  or  crime — ^beardless  boys,  arrested  for  the  most  trifling 
and  venial  offences,  being  placed  side  by  side  with  gray-headed 
veterans  in  vice  Our  men  had  stripped  themselves  more  than 
half  naked,  that  their  clothes  might  furnish  no  ambush  for  the 
vermin  with  which  the  place  was  filled ;  and  gave  pitiful 
accounts  of  the  nights  they  had  spent,  in  stifling  heat,  amid  clouds 
of  mosquitoes  and  other  insects,  with  no  beds  but  the  rough 
plank  of  the  floors,  open  in  large  crevices  to  the  efiluvia  from  the 
common  cesspool  of  the  whole  prison  immediately  beneath.  A 
civil  and  intelligent  young  man  of  their  number  told  me  that, 
till  "  this  spree,"  he  had  not  tasted  strong  drink  for  two  years 
past ;  and  had  been  well  punished,  for  the  indulgence,  by  a  week 
in  this  frightful  and  disgusting  hole.  Giving  them  the  means  of 
relief  from  immediate  hunger,  I  promised  to  do  what  I  could  for 
their  liberation ;  and  the  youngster  referred  to,  the  last — from 
some  mistake  in  his  name — to  gain  a  release,  has  just  come  thank- 
fully on  board. 

November  12th. — A  ball  on  board  the  Congress  and  a  soiree  at 
the  American  Embassy  have  afforded,  within  the  week  past,  our 
first  opportunities  of  mingling  in  the  society  of  Rio.  It  required 
but  a  short  time  to  transform  the  quarter-deck  of  the  frigate 
from  a  grim  battery  into  a  brilliant  ball-room.  The  guns  having 
been  run  out  of  sight  on  the  forecastle,  the  awnings  screened  by 
the  flags  of  all  nations,  in  flutings  overhead  and  in  festoons  at 


BALL    ON    SHIPBOARD.  131 

the  sides,  and  the  decks  artistically  chalked  in  colors,  the  interior 
soon  presented  the  aspect  of  a  spacious  and  gay  saloon.  In  this, 
at  different  points,  muskets  arranged  in  thick  clusters  with  a  candle 
in  each  muzzle,  formed  glittering  and  becoming  candelabra ;  and 
pistols  and  bayonets  similarly  arrayed  and  mounted,  made  brackets 
for  lights  along  the  sides  and  chandeliers  above,  while  a  grace- 
ful amenity  was  thrown  over  these  implements  of  death,  by  wreaths 
of  evergreen  intermingled  with  bouquets  of  flowers  rich  in  color 
and  perfume.  The  poop-deck  overlooking  this  dancing  room,  was 
transformed  by  similar  decorations  into  a  lofty,  tented  pavilion, 
from  which  those  not  disposed  to  join  in  the  amusement  below, 
might  view  the  spectacle  and  enjoy  each  other's  society  in  con- 
versation. 

The  ship  was  illuminated  outside,  by  lines  of  lights  running 
up  each  mast  and  by  lanterns  suspended  from  the  yard-arms. 
While  the  company  were  assembling,  rockets  were  sent  up,  to  add 
to  the  brilliancy,  and  blue  lights  burned  on  the  arrival  of  the 
most  distinguished  of  the  guests.  Thus  the  effect  without,  in 
approaching  in  the  dark,  was  scarce  less  striking  and  beautiful 
than  the  coup  d'oeil  within,  on  crossing  the  gangway.  The  only 
interest  I  took  in  the  preparations  was  in  having  the  draperies, 
which  separated  these  brilliant  apartments  from  the  forward  deck, 
so  arranged  as  to  allow  the  crew — who  would  be  kept  from  their 
hammocks  till  a  late  hour  by  the  entertainment — to  be  spectators 
of  the  scene.  This  indulgence  was  readily  accorded ;  and, 
during  the  whole  evening,  our  hardy  tars  in  a  uniform  dress  of 
white  and  blue,  clustered  in  thick  rows  from  the  mainmast  for- 
ward, formed  by  no  means  the  least  striking  feature  in  the 
spectacle.  Indeed,  their  fine  physical  aspect  and  becoming  de- 
portment attracted  much  observation;  and  elicited  the  most 
complimentary  remarks  upon  them,  as  a  body  of  men,  from  the 
most  distinguished  strangers  on  board. 

The  company  on  this  occasion  consisted  principally  of  resident 
foreigners,  diplomatists,  and  their  families,  and  the  officers  of  the 
national  ships  in  port.     There  were  few  native  Brazilians  among 


132  BRAZIL    AND    LA   PLATA. 

them.  Under  the  impression  that  the  entertainment  given  by 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tod  would  embrace  the  higher  circles  of  the  native 
society,  I  joined  the  party  from  the  ship  attending  it.  The  man- 
sion occupied  by  the  Legation  is  at  Praya  Flamengo,  where  I  was 
so  much  at  home  in  1829.  It  is  spacious  and  lofty,  with  a  stately 
suite  of  reception-rooms  on  the  second  floor,  which  command 
fine  views  of  the  bay  and  its  chief  features  near  the  sea.  It  was 
illuminated  in  front,  and  brilliantly  lighted  and  tastefully  decorated 
with  flowers  within.  According  to  Brazilian  custom  on  occasions 
of  fete,  the  tesselated  pavement  of  the  vestibule  and  hall,  and 
the  marble  staircase  leading  to  the  reception-rooms,  were  strewn 
with  the  fresh  leaves  of  the  mango  tree  and  various  aromatic 
plants  which,  under  the  pressure  of  the  feet,  send  forth  a  grateful 
perfume.  A  garden  in  the  rear,  filled  with  myrtle  and  orange 
trees,  and  gay  with  the  blossoms  of  the  pomegranate  and  olean- 
der, was  also  illuminated,  and  seen  opening  in  perspective 
from  the  hall,  with  pretty  effect.  The  company  was  large; 
exhibiting  a  good  deal  of  dress  among  the  ladies,  in  the  latest  modes 
of  Paris,  and  some  fine  diamonds.  There  was,  too.  a  sprinkling  of 
title  and  nobility,  and  a  little  beauty,  but  nothing  more  distinc- 
tively Brazilian,  or  characteristic  of  nationality,  than  in  the  party 
on  board  the  Congress. 

At  an  early  hour  after  the  civilities  of  the  reception,  and  a  gen- 
eral interchange  of  salutations,  dancing  was  commenced  and  con- 
tinued to  be  the  chief  amusement  of  the  evening.  There  was  no- 
thing in  the  scene  with  which  I  could  sympathize,  and  I  withdrew 
from  the  crowded  and  heated  rooms  to  the  terraced-walk  fronting 
the  beach.  Here,  a  land  breeze,  deliciously  fresh  and  fragrant, 
came  fanning  down  the  mountain's  side  ;  and  I  passed  two  hours 
and  more  in  the  enjoyment  of  it,  in  a  promenade  back  and  forth 
of  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  beneath  a  gloriously  lighted  sky,  while 
every  thing  was  hushed  to  a  midnight  repose,  except  the  sounds 
of  the  distant  music  of  the  dance,  and  the  rush,  and  roar,  and 
the  thunder  at  my  feet  of  the  foaming  surf. 

On  returning  to  the  house  I  met  Mr.  Tod  in  the  lower  rooms, 


WESTERN    SUBURBS    OF    RIO.  133 

the  supper-room  being  about  to  be  thrown  open.  The  banquet 
was  profuse  and  luxurious.  A  chief  novelty  among  its  delicacies, 
at  either  end  of  the  principal  table,  was  the  choicest  fish  of  the 
adjoining  seas — the  garoupa.  It  is  very  large,  and,  on  the 
present  occasion,  was  baked  whole  and  served  cold.  From  the 
general  demand  for  it,  especially  among  the  ladies,  I  should  have 
judged  the  dish  to  be  in  high  estimation,  without  the  assurance 
of  the  fact.  It  is  a  rarity,  and  its  market  price  very  high.  Sums, 
I  am  told,  are  sometimes  given  for  it  which  I  dare  not  venture 
to  state,  without  further  inquiry,  lest  either  my  veracity  or 
credulity,  or  both,  might  be  put  in  question. 

November  16th. — Yesterday  afternoon  I  accompanied  Captain 

Mcintosh,  Lieut.  P of  the  British  flag  ship,  and  Lieut.  T 

of  the  Congress,  in  a  drive  of  five  miles  to  the  country  resi- 
dence of  Mr.  K ,  an  English  gentleman,  a  partner  in  one  of 

the  wealthiest  mercantile  houses  in  Rio.     An  invitation  to  an 

evening  party  had  been  received  from  Mrs.  K ,  a  few  days 

before,  and  the  call  we  now  made  was  in  acknowledgment  of  the 
civility.  The  direction  of  the  drive  was  westward,  through  the 
rich  and  broad  valley  which  extends  seven  or  eight  miles  from 
the  city,  to  the  foot  of  the  mountains  of  Tejuca.  High  walls  of 
brick  and  stone,  or  lofty  hedges  equally  impenetrable  to  the  eye, 
cut  off  the  view  of  the  pleasure  gardens  and  grounds  surrounding 
the  residences  in  the  suburbs,  from  those  seated  in  the  low 
carriages  at  present  in  fashion,  and  I  chose  a  more  elevated  seat 
beside  the  coachman — though  at  the  risk,  in  a  black  dress  and 
white  cravat,  of  being  taken  for  a  servant  out  of  livery — rather 
than  forego  the  advantage  of  this  better  point  for  observation ; 
especially  as  there  was  no  inconvenience  from  the  sun,  the  after- 
noon being  overcast  and  gray,  such  as  do  not  often  occur  here 
without  rain.  But  for  this  position  I  should  have  lost  much  of 
the  enjoyment  of  the  drive. 

Half  the  distance  is  a  continued  suburb  of  the  city ;  and  the 
remainder  a  succession  of  cottages,  villas,  and  mansions  in  a 
greater  or  less  degree  of  proximity — the  residences  of  the  aristo- 


134  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

cratic  and  wealthy,  both  natives  and  foreigners.  A  predominating 
fancy  with  these  seems  to  be  the  exhibition  of  showy  entrances 
and  gateways,  little  in  keeping  in  their  stateliness,  in  many 
instances,  with  the  inferior  style  and  dimensions  of  the  dwellings 
themselves.  Some  of  these  last,  however,  are  quite  palatial.  One 
of  this  kind  was  pointed  out,  as  an  evidence  of  the  talent  for 
business,  and  the  prosperous  fortunes  of  a  colored  man.  '  The 
gardens  and  grounds  on  every  side  are  luxuriant  in  the  display 
of  flowers,  shrubbery  and  trees,  and  often  tastefully  embellished 
with  vases,  casts,  statuary  and  fountains  of  graceful  and  classic 
model.  The  rapidity  of  vegetation  in  weeds  and  grass,  as  well  as 
in  more  valuable  growth  is  such,  however,  as  to  make  perfect 
neatness  and  good  keeping  in  the  grounds  difficult.  One  great 
defect  in  them,  which  cannot  fail  to  arrest  the  eye  unaccus- 
tomed to  it,  is  the  entire  absence  of  the  close  sod  and  velvet  turf, 
which  give  such  smoothness  and  softness  to  lawns  and  pleasure 
grounds  in  the  United  States  and  in  England.  The  burning  sun 
of  this  latitude  kills  the  roots  of  such  growth,  and  there  is  no 
close  set  grass  here.  All  that  is  native  is  coarse,  tufted,  and 
straggling.  The  site  of  the  city  was  originally  a  marsh,  and  this 
interval  land,  between  the  bay  and  the  mountains,  is  low  and  wet. 
The  soil,  a  stiff  clay,  causes  the  roads  in  rainy  weather  soon  to  be 
so  cut  up  as  to  become  almost  impassable,  and  in  dry,  to  be  both 
rough  and  dusty. 

The  residence  of  Mr.  R ,  crowning  a  gently  swelling  hill 

in  the  midst  of  a  lovely  valley,  rises  conspicuously  to  the'  view 
while  yet  a  mile  from  it.  It  is  an  old  Brazilian  house  of  unpre- 
tending and  cottage-like  aspect,  soon  to  give  place  to  a  new  build- 
ing :  but  looked  rural  and  attractive,  and  commands  a  splendid 
panorama.  Here  the  gateway  is  of  a  simplicity  corresponding 
with  that  of  the  house.  It  opens,  at  the  distance  of  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  from  this,  into  an  avenue  of  young  mango  trees,  winding 
gradually  up  the  ascent  and  bordered  on  either  side  by  a  hedge 
of  the  double  scarlet  hibiscus,  whose  polished  leaves  of  green 
were  studded  with  bright  flowers. 


COUNTRY    SEAT    OF    MR.    R .  135 

A  long  and  lofty  saloon,  so  well  furnished  with  windows  as 
to  be  readily  converted  almost  into  an  open  pavilion,  occupies 
the  whole  front  of  the  house.  A  flight  of  stone  steps  at  either 
end  ascends  from  the  carriage  drive  to  this.  A  similar  apartment 
in  the  rear  forms  the  dining-room;  while  between  these,  and 
lighted  only  through  them,  is  the  drawing-room.  In  a  colder 
climate  an  apartment  thus  situated  would,  in  the  day  time,  be 
dark  and  gloomy ;  but  here,  where  for  a  great  part  of  the  year  a 
glaring  and  glowing  sun  pours  down  upon  every  thing,  it  forms  a 
welcome  retreat  into  which  the  light  comes  only  in  subdued  and 
grateful  shade. 

We  had  made  the  acquaintance  of  Mrs.  and   Miss  R at 

the  entertainments  mentioned  under  my  last  date  ;  and,  on  being 
ushered  into  the  saloon  were  received  by  them  in  a  most  frank 

and  courteous  manner.      Mrs.  R ,  though  a  native  Brazilian, 

has  been  much  in  England,  and  Miss  R has  biat  lately  com- 
pleted her  education  there.  Both  are  of  pleasing  address  and 
most  gentle  and  amiable.  After  a  half  hour  in  conversation  a 
walk  in  the  grounds  was  proposed,  the  freshness  of  the  evening 
with  a  land  breeze  from  the  mountains  having  set  in.  We  had 
already  discovered  the  views  in  every  direction  to  be  lovely : 
embracing  the  rich  valley  through  which  we  had  driven,  the 
mountains  bordering  it  on  one  side  and  the  fantastic  peaks  in 
which  they  terminate  at  its  head  behind ;  with  cottages  and 
country  houses  scattered  thickly  around,  and  the  imperial  palace 
of  San  Christovao  encircled  with  plantations  in  full  view. 
Glimpses  of  the  city  were  caught  in  the  far  distance  in  front ; 
and,  with  a  glass,  the  tapering  masts  of  the  Congress,  surmounted 
by  her  broad  pennant,  rising  high  above  the  tallest  of  its  towers 
and  steeples. 

From  the  end  of  the  saloon  opposite  to  that  at  which  we  had 
entered,  an  embowered  grapery  leads  to  a  stream  at  the  foot  of 
the  hill,  overhung  with  trees  and  beautifully  fringed  with  the 
lofty  and  graceful  bamboo.  Along  the  green  banks  of  this,  the 
gardens,  filled  with  the  greatest  variety  of  shrub  and  flower, 


136  BRAZIL   AND   LA  PLATA. 

spread  widely  among  fruit-bearing  and  ornamental  trees,  includ- 
ing a  succession  of  orange  groves.  Through  these  we  sauntered 
with  great  delight,  tasting  of  the  various  fruits ;  examining,  in 
the  fine  display  of  the  botanical  kingdom  around,  things  old 
and  new  ;  resting  upon  a  rustic  seat  here  and  there  ;  and  finally 
becoming  grouped  in  a  picturesque  bower  of  living  bamboo,  whose 
thickly  clustered  stems  at  the  sides  and  feathery  tops  interlaced 
overhead  eflfectually  exclude  the  sun,  and  secure,  even  at  mid- 
day, a  retreat  of  refreshing  coolness.  Among  entire  novelties  to 
us  were  the  Jaca  or  jack  fruit — artocarjpus  Indicus — or  East 
India  bread  fruit,  and  the  Brazilian  plum. 

We  were  here  joined  by  Mr.  R and  his  sons,  by  Lieut. 

F of  our  ship,  and  Mr.  Lawrence  McKeever,  a  son  of  the 

commodore,  an  attache  of  an  American  partner  of  the  house  in 
which  Mr.  R is  the  English  principal.  Mr.  E to  the  re- 
putation of  ah  able  and  successful  merchant  adds  that  of  a  well- 
read  man,  thoroughly  furnished  with  intelligence  in  regard  to  all 
subjects  of  local  and  general  interest  in  Brazil.  His  conversa- 
tion is  thus  both  interesting  and  instructive. 

As  twilight  began  to  gather  round  us,  we  returned  to  the 
house,  and  were  summoned  to  a  tea-table  in  the  dining-hall  well 
spread  as  in  the  olden  times  at  home,  not  only  with  every  delicacy 
appropriate  to  the  repast,  but  with  such  substantial  dishes,  also, 
as  those  who  had  been  riding  and  driving  and  walking,  since  an 
early  dinner,  might  be  disposed  to  welcome.  There  was  an  air 
of  genuine  hospitality  in  the  well-covered  length  of  the  board, 
which  carried  me  back  to  the  tables  of  our  friends  of  Massena 
and  of  the  Lakelands  in  former  days,  telling  that  like  theirs  it 
was  no  unaccustomed  thing  thus  to  be  drawn  out  to  its  full  length 
by  the  presence  of  some  eight  or  ten  unexpected  guests,  in  addi- 
tion to  a  large  family  circle.  With  a  number  of  well-trained  and 
neatly-dressed  negro  servants  in  attendance,  the  whole  scene  was 
more  like  that  of  an  ordinary  exhibition  of  American  hospitality, 
as  I  recollect  it  in  boyhood,  even  in  the  Northern  States,  than  any 
thing  I  have  for  a  long  time  witnessed.     It  was  half  past  nine 


BRITISH    FLAG-SHIP.  137 

o'clock  before  we  took  leave ;  yet,  such  is  the  Jehu  style  of  driving 
that  we  were  not  only  at  the  landing  in  the  city,  where  the 
captain's  gig  was  in  waiting  for  us,  but  safely  on  board  ship  by 
ten. 

The  rainy  season  is  not  so  strongly  marked  at  Rio  as  in  many 
tropical  regions,  though  at  this  period  of  the  year  more  rain  falls 
than  at  any  other.  To-day  it  poured  in  torrents  from  the  early 
morning,  while  an  impenetrable  fog  has  been  rushing  from  the 
sea,  before  a  driving  wind.  The  worst  of  this  state  of  things,  to 
some  of  us  on  board  the  Congress,  was  an  engagement  of  several 
days'  standing  to  a  dinner  with  Admiral  Reynolds,  the  English 
commander-in-chief  on  this  station.  We  looked  in  vain  as  the 
appointed  hour  approached,  for  any  abatement  in  the  wind  and 
rain,  or  the  arrival  of  a  messenger  to  say  we  would  not  be  ex- 
pected ;  and,  at  a  quarter  to  six,  the  barge  was  called  away  and 
Commodore  McKeever,  Captain  Mcintosh  and  I,  with  such 
protection  as  our  boat  cloaks  could  give,  were  in  the  midst  of  the 
storm  pulling  for  the  flag  ship.  Fortunately  the  distance  was 
scarcely  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  We  escaped  getting  wet, 
and  in  the  shelter  and  elegant  appointments  of  the  admiral's 
cabins  soon  forgot  the  discomfort  of  the  pull  on  board. 

The  want  of  a  higher  grade  of  rank  in  the  navy  of  the  United 
States  tha.n  that  of  post  captain,  while  in  the  British  service  and 
ihat  of  other  nations  there  is  not  only  that  of  admiral,  but  six 
degrees  of  advancement  in  that  rank,  often  leads  to  embarrassment 
and  an  unpleasant  state  of  feeling  between  those  bearing  other 
flags  and  our  commanders-in-chief.  The  preposterous  expectation 
and,  in  many  instances,  pertinacious  claim  of  equality  in  rank 
and  reciprocity  in  official  honors,  where  there  is  confessedly  an 
inferiority  of  commission,  and  in  contravention  of  the  established 
rules  of  military  etiquette,  not  unfrequently  limit  the  intercourse 
between  American  commodores  and  European  admirals  to  the 
cold  formalities  of  an  official  visit.  Where  this  is  the  case,  the 
association  of  the  officers  of  the  respective  squadrons  is,  in  a 
greater  or  l6ss  degree,  of  the  same  character.    Happily  for  myself 


138  BRAZIL   AND    LA    PLATA. 

I  have  never  been  placed  in  this  position.  On  the  contrary,  in 
all  the  ships  to  which  I  have  been  attached,  the  most  friendly- 
relations  have  been  established  with  English  ships  of  .war,  on  the 
same  station.  Such  is  the  case  with  the  Congress  and  the  South- 
ampton. By  mutual  courtesy  and  good  will,  the  official  and 
social  intercourse  of  the  two  commanders-in-chief  was  on  our 
arrival  at  once  placed  on  a  desirable  footing.  The  consequence  is, 
that  the  officers  of  the  respective  ships  are  left  to  an  unembar- 
rassed association.  This  has  proved  cordial,  and  many  in  both 
ships  visit  each  other  with  the  intimacy  and  informality  of  con- 
genial neighbors  on  shore. 

Mrs.  Keynolds  accompanied  the  admiral  from  England  and 
lives  on  board  ship.  She  is  a  person  of  intelligent  and  cultivated 
mind  and  of  frank  and  pleasing  address ;  and  the  birds  and 
flowers,  the  drawings  and  cabinets  in  natural  history  which,  in 
addition  to  a  choice  library,  adorn  the  apartments  of  the  South- 
ampton, at  once  bespeak  the  presence  and  taste  of  an  accomplished 
woman.  In  addition  to  the  military  family  of  the  admiral,  which 
consists  of  the  captain  of  the  ship,  the  flag-lieutenant  and  the 
secretary  who  are  regularly  at  his  table,  we  had  the  company 

of  two  or  three  other  officers,  including  the  Rev.   Mr.  P , 

the  chaplain.  Besides  this  gentleman,  I  was  happy  to  meet  in 
the  party  others  whom  I  found  to  be  enlightened  and  spiritual 
Christians,  as  well  as  agreeable  and  well-bred  men.  It  is  \in- 
necessary  to  say  that  the  entertainment  was  sumptuous :  served 
in  plate,  with  all  the  appointments  of  the  table  in  the  elegant 
keeping  of  English  aristocratic  life.  The  summons  to  the  dining 
cabin  was  by  music  from  a  fine  band ;  and  with  the  removal  of 
the  cloth  and  her  majesty's  health,  we  had  "  God  save  the  Queen," 
foUpwed  by  "  Hail  Columbia  "  and  a  succession  of  passages  from 
the  choicest  operas.  Our  reception  was  the  more  cordial,  perhaps, 
from  the  badness  of  the  weather ;  and  the  whole  evening  marked 
with  such  free  interchange  of  thought  and  feeling  that  it  seemed 
a  family  party  at  home.  The  efi'ect  to  me  of  such  an  impression  in 
this  far  off  land,  has  been  an  irresistible  fit  of  the  "  mal  du  pays.'^^ 


I 


GARDEN   OF    DON   JUAN    M .  139 

Novemher  20th. — The  Praya  San  Domingo  and  Praya  Grande 
on  the  eastern  side  of  the  bay,  continue  to  be  favorite  resorts  with 
us,  especially  when  Captain  Mcintosh  is  leader  of  the  party. 
He  holds  in  abhorrence  the  filth  of  the  city  side.  The  interest 
of  our  visits  has  been  much  increased  by  the  acquaintance 
accidentally  formed  with  a  Portuguese  family,  shortly  after  the 
return  of  the  Congress  from  the  Plata.  In  a  stroll  we  were 
taking  there,  we  passed  a  plantation,  the  extent  and  thriftiness 
of  which  had  before  attracted  our  notice.  The  principal  gateway 
now  stood  open,  exhibiting,  in  long  vista,  an  avenue  of  young 
palms,  whose  interlacing  branches  completely  over-arched  the  walk 
beneath.  A  group  of  slaves  were  at  work  just  within;  and 
coupling  our  admiration  with  a  question  as  to  the  privilege  of  en- 
tering, we  had  scarcely  received  an  affirmative  reply,  before  the  pro- 
prietor, Don  Juan  M ,made  his  appearance  from  a  wilderness  of 

luxuriant  growth  on  one  side,  courteously  bidding  us  welcome,  and 
becoming  himself  our  guide.  There  is  nothing  artistic  or  par- 
ticularly tasteful  in  the  manner  in  which  the  grounds  are  laid 
out ;  but  they  are  in  high  cultivation,  and  the  variety  and  exuber- 
ance of  the  growth,  and  the  novelty  to  us  of  many  of  its  forms, 
made  them  very  attractive.  Fruits,  flowers,  and  vegetables — 
shrubs,  plants,  and  trees  are  so  closely  intermingled,  as  to  shut 
out  all  view,  except  in  each  immediate  path,  or  at  the  intersecting 
angles  of  the  larger  alleys.  In  other  places  endless  beds,  so 
arranged  as  to  be  easily  irrigated,  are  filled  with  every  kind  of 
vegetable  in  the  greatest  profusion  ;  while  above  wave  the  broad 
leaves  of  the  banana  and  plantain,  the  feathery  palm,  and  the 
closely  set,  and  pinnated  foliage  of  the  mango.  Many  of  the 
paths  are  bordered  with  coff'ee  trees,  now  in  full  bloom.  These  are 
allowed  to  grow  to  a  height  of  ten  or  fifteen  feet,  and  are  in  the 
form  of  a  bush.  The  blossoms,  of  the  purest  white,  appear  in 
general  efi'ect  like  those  of  the  double  jessamine.  They  cluster 
thickly  over  the  branches,  and  contrast  beautifully  with  the  dark 
green  of  the  polished  leaves.     Among  the  exotics  are  the  cinna- 


140  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

mon,  clove,  and  nutmeg,  and  the  climbing  vine  of   the   black 
pepper. 

In  the  course  of  our  ramble  we  came  upon  the  wash-house  of 
the  establishment — an  open,  tile-covered  lodge  or  verandah,  sup- 
ported by  pillars  of  brick,  and  furnished  with  a  wide  and  deep 
tank  or  reservoir  of  water,  troughs,  tubs  and  slabs  of  stone  for 
the  various  operations  of  the  laundry.  Three  or  four  negresses 
were  engaged  in  the  appropriate  work  of  the  place,  with  their 
children  at  play  around.  Near  one  of  the  mothers,  in  a  flat 
basket  on  the  ground,  lay,  kicking  and  crowing  as  if  ready  to 
spring  out  of  its  skin,  an  entirely  naked  and  shining  little  negro, 
six  or  eight  months  of  age — one  of  the  brightest  and  cleanest 
looking  little  rogues  I  ever  saw.  It  was  black  as  the  purest 
ebony,  and  in  a  perfection  of  form  fitting  it  for  the  model  of  a 
cupid,  or  infant  Apollo,  or  Adonis.  It  looked  so  healthy,  and  so 
wholesome,  and  so  perfectly  pure,  as  to  be  provocative  almost  of  a 
kiss ;  and  one  of  our  party — who,  in  strong  remembrance  of  his 
own  little  ones  at  home,  has  a  perfect  passion  for  every  child  he 
meets,  whether  black  or  white — was  so  delighted  that  I  thought 
he  would  scarcely  rest  satisfied  in  his  caressing,  short  of  such  an 
evidence  of  admiration. 

At  the  end  of  a  half  hour  we  came  again  into  the  principal 
avenue,  leading  from  the  gate  to  the  base  of  a  steep  hill,  or  rather 
cliff,  overhanging  the  gardens,  from  the  brow  of  which  the  dwell- 
ing of  Don  Juan  looks  down  as  upon  a  map.  Detained  already, 
it  appeared,  from  an  appointment  of  business  by  his  attentions 
to  us,  he  here  apologized  for  the  necessity  of  taking  leave,  but 
begged  us  to  continue  our  walk  up  the  hill,  from  which  we  would 
have  a  magnificent  view ;  and  called  a  negro  lad  to  guide  us. 
We  willingly  complied,  and  advanced  by  a  winding  path  up  the 
steep.  Among  the  growth  not  before  noticed,  we  here  observed 
the  peach,  apple,  and  pomegranate,  interspersed  with  grove  after 
grove  of  orange  trees,  heavily  laden  with  golden  fruit.  The 
house  is  a  long,  tile-roofed  cottage  of  one  story,  surrounded  by 
broad  piazzas,  opening  upon  flagged  terraces.     The  pointed  top 


MADAME    M .  141 

of  the  hill  has  been  cut  down  to  a  platform,  sufficient  only  in 
extent  for  the  area  of  the  dwelling,  with  a  shrubbery  and  flower 
garden  on  one  side,  and  a  dovecote  and  quarters  for  the  house- 
negroes  on  the  other.  The  whole  is  perched  upon  the  angular 
point  of  a  precipitous  promontory  overlooking  the  bay  of  St. 
Francis  Xavier,  from  which  a  heavy  surf  rolls  beneath,  breaking, 
in  part,  amid  a  cluster  of  fantastic  and  columnar  rocks,  and  in 
part  upon  a  white  sand  beach.  To  reach  the  best  point  for  a 
panoramic  view  at  the  end  of  the  flower  garden,  we  were  con- 
ducted through  the  reception  rooms,  in  the  centre  of  the  cottage, 
furnished  with  some  showy  articles  of  French  manufacture — a 
piano,  sofa,  vases  of  painted  china.  The  landscape  and  water 
view  at  every  point  are  superb— especially  on  the  garden  front, 
with  the  wild  surf  beneath,  and  the  islet  of  'Boa  Viagem  for 
a  foreground — its  fantastic  cliffs  of  strongly  colored  earths 
draped  with  bright  verdure,  and  crowned  by  its  picturesque  little 
chapel.  The  varied  movements  of  sail  in  the  lower  harbor  ;  the 
bright  gloamings  of  the  city  along  the  shores  of  Flamengo  and 
Botafogo  ;  with  the  Sugar-loaf  and  adjoining  hills,  and  the  Gavia 
and  Corcovado  in  sublime  groupings  in  the  distance,  formed 
together  a  picture  of  unrivalled  beauty.  The  coloring,  and 
effective  shades  of  a  sunset  of  crimson  and  gold,  exhibited  the 
whole  with  gorgeous  effect ;  and  we  stood  fascinated  by  it,  till  the 
gathering  twilight  hastened  us  to  our  boat. 

Commodore  McKeever  and  Mr.  G accompanied  us  in  a 

second  visit  which  we  were  invited  by  Don  Juan  to  make,  a  few 
evenings  afterwards.  We  were  welcomed  with  the  cordiality  of 
old  friends,  and  after  a  walk  through  the  grounds,  were  conducted 

to  the  house,  introduced  to  Madame  M ,  and  served  with 

coffee,  sweetmeats  and  liqueurs.  We  soon  discovered  the  mistress 
of  the  establishment  to  be  of  the  order  of  women,  so  graphically 
described  by  the  wise  man — "  she  seeketh  wool  and  flax,  and 
|p  worketh  willingly  with  her  hands.  She  looketh  well  to  the  ways 
of  her  household,  and  eateth  not  the  bread  of  idleness.  Her 
children  arise  and  call  her  blessed,  her  husband  also,  and  he 


142  BRAZIL  AND  LA  PLATA. 

praiseth  her."  Through  the  open  windows  of  the  verandah,  as 
we  entered,  we  saw  her  busily  engaged,  amid  a  group  of  female 
slaves,  old  and  young,  in  the  cutting  and  fitting  of  garments  which 
they  were  sewing  ;  and  learned  from  her  husband  that  her  agency, 
as  well  as  supervision,  was  thus  exercised  in  the  whole  economy 
of  the  establishment.  In  dress,  she  was  in  the  dishabille  common 
among  the  females,  and  males  too,  in  this  climate,  at  least  till  a 
late  hour  of  the  day ;  a  loose  wrapper  with  a  colored  silk  pocket- 
handkerchief  over  the  head.  On  the  summons  of  Don  Juan,  she 
joined  us  without  apology  in  regard  to  her  toilette ;  and  after  the 
refreshments  were  served,  while  we  were  enjoying  the  view  at  the 
point  of  the  promontory,  gathered  and  arranged  for  each  of  us  a 
choice  and  beautiful  bouquet. 

In  acknowledgment  of  the  kindness  of  thus  throwing  open 
their  grounds  and  house  to  us,  an  invitation  was  given  for  a  visit 
to  the  Congress.  This  was  readily  accepted,  and  they  have  since 
passed  a  morning  on  board.  It  was  their  first  visit  to  a  man-of- 
war,  and  they  professed  to  take  more  interest  in  it,  and  to  feel 
themselves  more  highly  honored  from  its  bearing  the  stripes  and 
stars  of  the  United  States,  than  they  could  under  any  other  flag. 
We  scarcely  recognized  the  Dona^  at  first,  under  the  aspect  of 
a  visitor.  In  place  of  the  Portuguese  neglig^,  in  which  we  were 
received  by  her  at  home,  she  now  appeared  in  the  latest  style 
of  Parisian  promenade  costume :  with  silks  and  laces  and  ex- 
pensive embroideries,  in  a  correctness  of  taste  and  good-keeping, 
th'at  proved  her  by  no  means  unaccustomed  to  the  elegancies  of 
the  toilette.  Don  Juan  is  a  man  of  intelligence  and  of  much 
practical  good  sense  and  observation.  Among  many  things  on 
board,  which  attracted  his  attention,  aside  from  the  equipment 
and  peculiar  character  of  our  ship  in  military  appointment,  was 
a  small  homoeopathic  medicine  chest  in  the  captain's  cabin.  He 
is  a  warm  advocate  of  this  system,  and  a  practitioner  of  it  in  his 
own  family  /  and  he  informed  us  that  in  forty  cases  of  fever, 
among  his  slaves,  during  the  late  epidemic,  he  allowed  of  no  other 
treatment,  and  did  not  lose  a  single  patient,  though  many  negroes 
around  him  died  of  the  pestilence  under  allopathic  practice. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

iKio  DB  Janeiro. 

November  26tli. — The  heat  of  the  mornings  on  shore  is  be- 
coming so  intense  as  to  make  walking  oppressive.  Till  the  set- 
ting in  of  the  sea-breeze  about  mid-day,  the  ship  is  altogether 
more  desirable  than  any  other  place  accessible  to  us.  Moored 
in  the  direct  line  of  the  -winds  from  the  sea,  her  decks  with  awn- 
ings spread  fore  and  aft,  form  a  delightful  lounging-place ;  one 
never  without  attractions,  in  the  constant  movements  on  the  bay, 
and  the  varying  and  beautiful  effects  produced  upon  its  imagery, 
by  hourly  atmospheric  changes.  This  you  can  readily  understand 
from  daily  experience  at  Riverside.  Like  the  verandah  there, 
the  poop  of  the  Congress  here  commands  a  wide-spread  panorama 
of  water,  mountain,  and  valley,  ever  varying  in  its  aspects  of  lights 
and  shade,  sunshine  and  clouds,  tints  and  coloring,  and  tempting 
one  to  give  too  much  time  to  mere  admiration  of  the  changing 
picture. 

"When  the  atmosphere  is  peculiarly  brilliant,  the  mountains 
stand  out  with  a  nearness  and  strength  of  light  that  exposes  to 
clear  view  the  chisellings  of  their  minutest  features.  With  a 
good  glass,  every  rock  and  tree,  and  almost  every  shrub,  of  the 
nearer  ranges  is  then  brought,  seemingly,  within  touch ;  while  the 
sublime  chain,  forty  and  fifty  miles  distant  in  the  north,  exhibits, 
through  the  same  medium,  not  only  the  fantastic  spikes  and  fin- 


144  BRAZIL   AND   LA  PLATA. 

gers  from  which  it  derives  its  name,  but  the  minuter  formations 
of  the  wooded  sides  also,  furrowed  by  water-courses,  and  streaked 
here  and  there  with  the  silver  line  of  a  cataract  in  a  deep  glen. 
Then  again,  the  whole  stand,  with  undistinguishable  features,  like 
massive  walls  of  purple  and  blue,  the  upper  profile  only  of  their 
jagged  outlines  being  marked  boldly  against  the  sky. 

In  the  morning,  the  whole  bay  is  smooth  and  glassy  as  a  lake . 
one  vast  mirror,  along  whose  edges  are  repictured  in  strong  and 
unbroken  reflection,  mountain  and  city,  church-tower,  fortress,  and 
convent,  in  minute  fidelity,  while  all  the  men-of-war,  and  the 
little  craft  floating  by  with  useless  sails,  lie  in  duplicate  around. 
The  sun  glares  hotly — not  a  breath  of  air  is  stirring,  and  every 
one  is  oppressed.  But  watching  seaward,  the  topsails  of  the 
inward-bound  in  the  far  offing  are  seen,  by  and  by,  to  be  gently 
filling  with  a  breeze ;  presently, '  cats-paw '  after  '  cats-paw '  comes 
creeping  through  the  channel  and  up  the  bay ;  till  soon,  in  place  of 
a  glaring  and  oppressive  calm,  its  surface  is  dancing  with  '  white- 
caps  ;  '  the  lateen  sail  boats,  careening  to  the  wind  and  dashing 
the  spray  from  their  bows,  rush  past  and  around  us  like  "  playful 
things  of  life ;  "  the  inward-bound  with  wide-spread  wings  come 
hastening  to  the  anchorage ;  every  one  drinks  in  with  delight 
the  welcome  draught ;  and  for  the  rest  of  the  day,  new  aspects 
and  new  life  are  imparted  to  every  thing  and  every  body.  At 
times,  this  sea-breeze  is  supplanted  by  a  half  gale  from  the  same 
direction,  causing  so  much  of  a  swell  as  to  raise  breakers  between 
us  and  the  landing,  and  partially  to  interrupt  communication 
with  the  shore.  This  was  the  case  a  day  or  two  since,  when  the 
surf  rolled  along  nearly  the  whole  length  of  the  city.  The 
change  in  the  temperature  too,  is  frequently  so  great  as  to  lead 
to  the  substitution  of  cloth  clothing  for  that  of  light  summer 
wear,  and  to  the  buttoning  closely  of  the  coat  to  avoid  a  sense 
of  chilliness. 

Towards  evening  the  sea-breeze  ordinarily  dies  away ;  and,  by 
sunset,  a  glassy  surface  again  reflects  the  gorgeous  coloring  which 
now  mantles  the  mountains,  and  gilds  with  brightness  the  promi- 


METEOROLOGICAL    CHANGES.  145 

nent  architecture  of  the  city.  As  the  short  twilight  settles  into 
darkness,  regular  lines  of  brilliant  lamps  gleam  for  miles  along 
the  shores  on  either  side  of  the  bay,  and  up  the  ridges  and  over 
the  tops  of  the  hills  in  the  city ;  the  bright  radiance  of  unnum- 
bered stars  falls  from  above  ;  and  the  land-breeze,  gently  fanning 
down  the  mountain  sides,  brings  with  it  the  freshness  and  fra- 
grance of  their  woods  and  flowers. 

Often  a  thunder-storm  of  thick  blackness,  with  forked  light- 
ning, is  seen  raging  among  the  mountain  peaks  without  approaching 
nearer ;  and  oftener  still,  magnificently  culminating  summer  clouds, 
heaped  pile  upon  pile  above  them,  exhibit  a  play  of  electric  light, 
of  a  beauty  and  splendor  sufficient  for  the  pastime  of  the  even- 
ing. We  had  a  remarkable  display  of  this  kind  a  night  or  two 
ago  ;  the  flashes  were  more  vivid  and  more  incessant  than  I 
recollect  ever  before  to  have  witnessed.  Masses  of  black  clouds, 
towering  to  the  zenith  on  every  side,  made  the  night  exceedingly 
dark.  In  the  momentary  intervals  between  the  flashes  there  was 
a  darkness  that  might  almost  be  felt — utterly  impenetrable  even 
at  the  shortest  distance — and  making  inexpressibly  grand  and 
beautiful  the  more  than  mid-day  brightness  which  instantly  fol- 
lowed, disclosing  to  microscopic  view  every  object  far  and  near. 

From  the  cause  named  at  the  beginning  of  this  date — the  heat 
of  the  mornings — my  visits  on  shore,  for  the  long  walk  which  you 
know  to  be  an  essential  daily  enjoyment  to  me,  are  chiefly  in  the  later 
hours  of  the  afternoon  and  evening.  As  the  last  regular  boat  of 
the  ship  leaves  the  shore  punctually  at  sunset,  this  necessity  of 
choosing  so  late  a  period  of  the  day  would  subject  me  to  the 
inconvenience  of  coming  off  in  a  shore  boat,  and  the  disgust  of 
breathing  the  atmosphere  by  which  the  vicinity  of  the  common 
landing  is  nightly  polluted,  were  it  not  for  the  social  arrangements 
of  the  Commodore.  Intimacy  with  the  Ambassador  and  his 
family,  and  other  American  friends  in  the   same  neighborhood, 

leads  him  with  Mr.   Gr to  pass  most  of  his  evenings  at  the 

Praya  Flamengo.  His  barge  awaits  him  regularly,  at  nine  o'clock, 
at  a  sheltered  and  pleasant  landing  near  the  Gloria  Hill.  A  seat 
7 


146  BRAZIL  AND  LA  PLATA. 

in  this  is  always  in  reserve  for  me ;  and,  whether  visiting  with  him 
or  not,  I  am  sure  of  a  passage  in  good  season  to  the  ship.  I  am 
thus  left  at  liberty  to  range  the  hills  and  valleys  at  my  pleasure 
towards  the  close  of  day,  and  to  take  my  fill  of  such  delights  as 
nature,  in  her  exuberance  and  ever-varying  beauty  in  ten  thou- 
sand forms,  here  affords.  A  chief  drawback  to  the  pleasure  is 
the  want  of  a  companion  in  my  rambles.  Such  of  my  messmates 
as  have  a  round  of  ship's  duty  in  their  order,  find  sufficient  exer- 
cise in  pacing  the  decks  in  its  discharge,  and  are  often  too  much 
fatigued  to  start  in  search  of  the  picturesque ;  others,  though  at 
leisure,  less  inured  to  fatigue  than  I  am,  think  the  beauty  of  the 
upland  haunts  I  most  frequent,  scarcely  worth  the  effort  required 
at  all  points,  in  the  first  sharp  ascent  of  a  half  mile,  by  which 
only  they  are  attained.  Hence  my  evening  strolls  of  this  kind 
are  solitary :  still — 

"  My  steps  are  not  alone 
In  these  bright  walks ;  the  sweet  southwest,  at  play. 
Flies,  rustling,  where  the  tropic  leaves  are  strown 
Along  the  winding  way. 
And  far  in  heaven  the  while, 
The  sun  that  sends  the  gale  to  wander  here, 
Pours  out  on  the  fair  earth  the  quiet  smile — 
That  sweetens  all  the  year." 

The  row,  at  night,  of  two  miles  and  more  to  the  ship  is  of 
itself  a  pleasure :  sometimes  beneath  a  bright  moon,  with  the  palm- 
topped  trees  and  convent  towers  of  Santa  Theresa  on  our  left, 
marked  in  silver  against  the  sky ;  sometimes  amid  a  darkness  which 
leaves  nothing  for  our  guide  but  the  signal  lanterns  for  the  Com- 
modore, at  the  peak  of  the  far-off  Congress;  and  sometimes 
again,  amid  a  display  of  phosphorescence  in  the  water,  sufficient 
to  excite  both  admiration  and  surprise.  The  regular  dip  of  the 
oars,  then,  creates  splendid  coruscations :  streams  of  apparent  fire 
run  from  the  uplifted  blades,  while  the  barge,  under  the  impulse 
of  fourteen  stalwart  oarsmen,  rushes  on  through  a  wide  trough 
seemingly  of  molten  silver. 


SHOPS   AND   SHOPPING.  147 

But  I  am  forgetting  the  object  for  whicli  I  opened  my  journal 
— to  say,  that  in  despite  of  the  heat,  I  have  spent  two  mornings, 
within  the  past  week,  in  a  stroll  along  the  shaded  side  of  the  Rua 
Ouvidor,  in    company  with  the   Commodore,  Captain   and    Mr. 

G ,  on  a  visit  of  curiosity  to  the  various  shops  with  which  it 

is  lined.  The  show  windows  of  these  rival  those  of  Broadway, 
in  the  display  of  rich  fancy  goods  of  English,  French,  and  German 
manufacture,  and  of  jewelry,  articles  of  vertu,  drawings,  engrav- 
ings, and  bijouterie.  Among  the  jewellers'  shops  which  we  entered 
was  one,  having  for  its  sign  the  imperial  arms  and  crown  in  rich 
gilding — thus  indicating  the  special  patronage  of'  their  majesties 
and  the  court.  The  person  in  attendance  received  us  most  polite- 
ly,'and,  though  we  at  once  apprised  him  that  our  object  was  not 
to  purchase,  exhibited  his  choicest  caskets,  from  those  valued  at 
a  few  hundred  dollars  to  those  at  as  many  tens  of  thousands.  Most 
of  the  contents  were  native  diamonds  and  other  precious-  stones 
tastefully  arranged  and  artistically  set.  The  workmen  here  are 
celebrated  for  skill  in  this  respect,  and  for  the  delicacy  and  finish 
of  their  filagree  in  silver,  and  chasings  in  gold.  Bio  is  also  cele- 
brated for  the  manufacture  of  artificial  flowers  from  feathers. 
Those  most  valued  are  of  the  choicest  and  rarest  hummiug  birds. 
The  changing  tints  of  some  of  these  are  more  rich  and  varied 
than  those  of  the  opal.  Such  are  much  prized  and  are  expensive. 
The  counterpart  of  a  set  recently  ordered  by  the  Princess  de 
Joinville  was  as  costly  as  so  much  jewelry.  The  manufactories 
are  in  large  shops  open  entirely  in  front  to  the  street,  and,  the 
artisans  being  chiefly  young  girls,  are  favorite  resorts  and  loung- 
ing places  of  shoppers  and  idlers. 

It  must  not  be  inferred  that  in  thus  spending  a  mornmg  in^ 
shopping,  we  were  encroaching  on  the  prerogatives  of  the  ladies  of 
Brazil.  The  usage  of  the  country  denies  them  this  pastime.  Por- 
tuguese and  Spanish  views  of  the  liberty  of  outdoor  locomotion  to 
be  allowed  to  females — traceable  to  the  Moorish  estimate  of  their 
trust  worthiness  and  virtue — prohibit  to  them  here  in  a  great  degree 
the  privileges  of  the  street.    In  the  early  morning  they  maybe  seen, 


148  BRAZEL    AND    LA   PLATA. 

dressed  in  black,  and  attended  by  a  servant  or  child,  walking  to 
and  from  church ;  and  on  the  Sabbath,  likewise,  in  long  family 
procession,  in  performance  of  a  like  duty  ;  but,  to  take  a  prome- 
nade as  such,  for  pleasure  or  display,  or  to  pass  from  shop  to  shop 
looking  at  fine  goods  by  the  hour,  without  finding  the  article 
sought,  or  any  thing  to  suit  the  fancy,  would  be  regarded  as  an 
indecorum,  and  an  unmistakable  mark  of  vulgar  boldness.  Na- 
tive prejudice  on  this  point,  has  doubtless  been  modified  by  the 
example  of  numerous  foreign  residents  and  visitors ;  still,  when 
a  lady  is  met  in  the  streets  in  promenade,  it  may  be  safely  in- 
ferred that  she  is  not  a  Brazilian  :  if  wearing  a  bonnet,  it  may  be 
deemed  certain. 

Aside  from  the  light  thrown  upon  the  general  estimate  of 
female  virtue,  by  this  prohibition,  from  usage,  there  are  habits  of 
indecency  among  the  people,  witnessed  even  in  the  most  public 
thoroughfares,  sufficient  to  justify  it,  so  long  as  the  nuisance  is 
permitted ;  moreover,  a  lady  in  walking  is  subjected  to  an  im- 
pudent stare  and  look  of  libertinism  from  shopkeepers,  and 
clerks,  and  passers-by,  which  is  in  itself  an  insult,  without  the 
addition  of  the  remarks  of  levity  which  at  times  may  be  heard. 
There  has  been  an  advance  in  civilization  of  late  in  this  respect; 
still,  effrontery  enough  is  left  in  connection  with  it  to  off"end  the 
delicacy  of  a  woman  in  walking,  and  to  excite  the  indignation  of 
any  male  friend  accompanying  her. 

The  native  female  of  the  better  classes  is,  therefore,  still  to  be 
regarded  as  a  kind  of  house  prisoner ;  she  may  stand  against  or 
lean  over  the  railing  of  an  upper  balcony  by  the  hour — as  is 
much  the  custom — gazing  in  listless  silence  upon  whatever  is 
taking  place  in  the  street ;  but  a  promenade  below,  with  the  chance 
of  a  flirtation,  is  denied  her. 

How  then,  you  will  ask,  is  the  shopping  of  the  ladies  for  fine 
dresses  and  fine  feathers  accomplished  ?  I  answer,  either  by  hus- 
bands and  fathers,  who  I  am  told  are  well  versed  by  experience 
in  the  business,  or  by  a  running  to  and  from  shop  to  drawing-room 
of  boys  and  porters  with  pattern-books  and  pieces.     A  lady  from 


SLAVES   AT   AUCTION.  149 

the  country  will  drive  to  the  house  of  some  friend,  or  secure  a 
hired  room,  and,  sending  forth  a  servant,  will  put  the  errand-boys 
of  half  the  shops  in  the  city,  in  motion  for  the  day. 

On  one  of  these  mornings,  we  entered- a  common  auction-room 
for  a  moment,  and  accidentally  stumbled  on  the  humiliating  and 
reproachful  sight  of  a  sale  of  men  and  women  by  a  fellow  man. 
Not  the  sale,  as  till  within  a  few  years  past  might  here  have  been  the 
case,  of  newly  imported  captives  from  Africa,  but  of  natives  of 
Rio,  thus  passing  under  the  hammer  from  owner  to  owner  like 
any  article  of  merchandise.  They  were  eight  or  ten  in  number  of 
both  sexes,  varying  in  age  from  boyhood  and  girlhood  to  years  of 
maturity  and  middle  life.  They  stood  meekly  and  submissively, 
though  evidently  anxious  and  sad,  under  the  interrogations  and 
examinations  of  the  bidders,  and  a  rehearsal  and  laudation  by  the 
auctioneer  of  their  different  available  working  qualities  and  dis- 
positions :  their  health,  strength  and  power  of  endurance.  All, 
in  their  turn  were  made  to  mount  an  elevated  platform,  to  display 
their  limbs  almost  to  nakedness,  and  exhibit  their  muscular  powers 
by  various  gymnastics,  like  a  horse  his  movements  and  action, 
before  the  bidders  at  Tattersall's. 

They  were  rapidly  knocked  down  at  prices  varying  from  two 
hundred  to  a  thousand  and  more  milreis :  that  is,  from  one  to  five 
hundred  and  more  dollars.  As  we  turned  away,  the  indignation 
of  one  of  our  party  found  vent  in  the  exclamation :  "  Such  a 
spectacle  is  a  disgrace  to  human  nature.  It  makes  one  sick  at 
heart,  and  ready  to  fear  that  in  the  retributive  justice  of  the 
Almighty  the  time  may  come,  when  the  blacks  here  will  put  up 
the  whites  for  sale  in  the  same  manner !  "  And  why  not  ?  Why 
should  the  blood  boil  at  the  mere  suggestion  of  the  thought  in 
the  one  case,  and  yet  flow  coolly  and  tranquilly  on,  in  view  of  the 
other  ? 

Happily  Brazil  has  been  aroused,  through  the  influence  of 
her  Emperor  and  the  wisest  of  her  statesmen  and  legislators,  to 
earnestness  in  that  suppression  of  the  traffic  in  slaves  to  which  she 
has  so  long  stood  pledged  by  treaty.     It  is  no  longer  in  name 


150  BRAZIL    AND   LA    PLATA. 

only  that  the  trade  is  a  piracy.  The  landing  of  a  cargo  any 
where  in  the  Empire  subjects  it  to  forfeiture.  A  high  premium 
is  given  to  an  informer  in  a  case  of  smuggling  of  the  kind,  and 
the  law  cuts  off  all  recovery  of  payment  for  the  proceeds  of  a 
sale  that  may  have  been  effected.  The  consequence  is,  that  the 
millionnaires  of  Rio,  whose  coffers  have  been  filled  to  repletion 
with  the  price  of  blood,  finding  the  government  in  earnest  in  the 
execution  of  the  laws,  are  forsaking  their  gilded  palaces  here — 
some  of  them  among  the  most  luxurious  and  ornate  residences  of 
the  city — for  homes  where  they  may  pursue  their  nefarious  busi- 
ness with  less  reproach  to  reputation,  and  less  liability  to  the  pen- 
alty of  the  laws.  It  is  said  that  there  are  residents  here,  entitled 
by  birth  and  citizenship  to  stand  beneath  the  protecting  folds  of 
the  stripes  and  stars  of  our  country,  who  till  now  have  been 
active  agents  in,  and  have  shared  largely  in  the  emoluments  of 
this  wicked  outrage  on  the  rights  of  man. 

December  \Oth. — The  2d  inst.  was  the  Emperor's  birth-day,  a 
chief  gala  among  the  anniversaries  of  Rio.  His  Majesty  then 
completed  his  twenty-fifth  year.  The  day  was  fine,  and  the  cele- 
bration consisted  of  a  grand  military  procession  of  regular  troops 
and  national  guards  through  the  palace  square ;  a  Te  Deum  in 
the  imperial  chapel,  at  which  the  Emperor  and  Empress  assisted, 
as  the  phraseology  is ;  a  review  of  the  troops  by  their  Majesties 
from  a  balcony  of  the  palace;  a  levee  for  hand-kissing  after- 
wards, for  such  as  a^re  entitled  to  the  entree ;  and  at  night  a  visit 
of  the  Court  in  state,  to  the  opera.  The  whole  accompanied  by 
the  firing,  morning,  noon  and  night,  afloat  and  on  shore,  of 
unnumbered  cannon. 

I  was  in  Captain  Mcintosh's  party  in  going  on  shore.  He 
has  a  horror  of  crowds,  which  to  me  afford  some  of  the  best  oppor- 
tunities of  judging  of  the  character  of  a  people,  and  after  seeing 
him  comfortably  seated  in  a  balcony  commanding  the  square, 
Lieut.  T and  I  sallied  forth  "among  the  horses,"  as  he  ex- 
pressed it,  to  be  in  closer  proximity  to  the  populace. 

The  Brazilians  are  manifestly  an  orderly,  civil,  good-natured, 


BIRTHDAY    OF    PEDRO    II.  151 

timid,  and  temperate  people ;  contrasting  favorably  in  tlieir  man- 
ners, language,  indulgences  and  general  deportment,  on  similar  occa- 
sions, with  the  masses  in  large  cities,  in  the  United  States.  I  saw 
nothing  rude  or  coarse  in  any  one,  nothing  offensive  or  insulting  : 
no  profanity,  no  intoxication,  no  quarelling,  no  call  for  the  inter- 
ference of  the  police. 

In  the  course  of  the  morning,  among  various  other  experiences, 
we  elbowed  his  Majesty  and  the  ministers  of  the  household,  the 
metropolitan  and  his  chapter  of  the  priesthood,  and  the  great 
officers  of  state  in  the  Imperial  chapel ;  scrutinized  the  Empress 
and  her  ladies  in  their  tribune ;  listened  to  the  effective  music  of 
the  Te  Deum,  performed  by  the  chief  singers  of  the  opera  com- 
pany ;  witnessed  the  return  of  the  court  in  procession  from  the 
chapel  to  the  throne  room  ;  and  gained  a  point  of  observation  for 
the  review,  so  near  Don  Pedro  and  Dona  Theresa  as  to  have  been 
able  readily  to  have  carried  on  a  conversation  with  them,  had  it 
been  according  to  rule. 

The  regular  army  of  Brazil  consists  of  some  twenty  thousand 
troops.  Very  few  of  these  are  at  present  here.  The  great  mass 
of  those  under  arms  on  the  present  occasion,  amounting  to  some 
five  thousand,  was  of  municipal  guards,  corresponding  to  the 
volunteer  companies  of  New  York.  They  were  in  neat  and 
handsome  uniforms,  are  well  appointed,  and  well  drilled;  but  are 
small  and  light  in  figure,  without  an  appearance  of  much  phys- 
ical force,  and  most  motley  in  complexion  and  the  mixture  of  blood. 
An  abundant  supply  of  fine  bands  was  in  attendance.  Negroes 
and  mulattoes  predominated  in  these,  testifying  to  the  gift  of 
musical  taste  in  the  race  here,  as  with  us  in  the  United  States. 

There  was  a  partial  illumination  in  the  evening,  but  to  no 
striking  effect,  except  in  the  streets  leading  from  the  palace  to  the 
opera-house.  The  progress  of  the  court  in  state  through  these 
was  a  showy  spectacle.  The  glaring  flambeaux  of  liveried  out- 
riders, preceding  and  flanking  the  open  carriages,  themselves 
brilliantly  lighted,  and  the  illuminated  houses,  exhibited  the 
diamonds  of  the  Empress  and  her  attendants  to  great  advantage. 


152  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

The  left  breast  of  the  Emperor's  coat,  too,  flashed  with  the 
brilliants  of  the  many  orders  with  which  it  was  decorated.  The 
vivas  of  the  multitudes  were  tolerably  loyal,  and  the  spirited 
strains  of  the  national  air,  caught,  as  the  cortege  approached, 
from  band  to  band,  stationed  at  various  points  on  the  route,  quite 
spirit-stirring.  The  music  of  this  air  .is  a  composition  of  Don 
Pedro  I.,  who  was  a  master  in  the  science.  It  is  one  of  the  most 
animated,  spirit-moving  national  airs  I  know — equal  almost  in 
this  respect  to  the  Marseillaise.  The  words  of  the  anthem  to 
which  it  is  set  are  said  to  be  also  from  the  pen  of  his  late  Majesty ; 
and,  in  the  native  language,  are  scarce  less  incitive  than  the  tune, 
to  emotions  of  patriotism  and  valor — 

la  podeis,  filhos  da  patria, 

Ver  conteute  a  mai  gentil, 
la  raiou  a  liberdade, 

No  horizonte  do  Brazil. 

Brava  gente  Braziliera 

Longe  vai  temor  servil ! 
Ou  ficar  a  patria  livre, 

Ou  mourer  pelo  BraziL 

I  could  not  be  otherwise  than  amused  by  an  incident,  char- 
acteristic of  the  too  widely  spread  spirit  of  my  countrymen, 
which  came  under  my  observation  just  after  reaching  the  shore. 
The  court  were  alighting  at  the  palace,  on  their  arrival  in  state 
from  San  Christovao  :  the  turn-out,  in  equipages  and  their  appoint- 
ments, the  same  as  described  at  the  prorogation  of  the  legislature 
in  September.  The  hurried  rush  across  the  square  of  the  mounted 
guard  in  advance ;  the  flourish  of  trumpets  and  striking  up  of  the 
bands ;  the  glitter  of  postillions  and  coachmen  in  livery,  stiff"  with 
lacings  of  silver ;  the  tossings  of  the  plumed  heads  of  the  long 
lines  of  richly  caparisoned  horses;  and  the  ceremonies  of  the 
vestibule,  in  the  salutations  and  kissing  of  hands  at  alighting, 
were  just  occurring,  as  a  rough  specimen  of  our  compatriots,  in 
the  character  of  a  Yankee  sea-captain  happened  by.     He  stood 


THE  EMPEROR  AFLOAT.  153 

near  me  for  a  moment  gazing  at  the  pageant,  evidently  witli  less 
of  admiration  than  of  contempt,  and,  as  he  passed  on  with  a 
significant  "  Humph  1 "  I  heard  him  add  in  half  soliloquy — "  I  tell 
you  what,  there  is  a  little  too  much  nonsense  here ;  it  is  time 
this  people  were  annexed  !  " 

To-day  the  weather  has  been  wet  and  stormy.  Notwith- 
standing, a  Brazilian  naval  officer  came  on  board  the  Congress 
before  breakfast,  to  say  that  the  Emperor  would  be  afloat  in  an 
excursion  on  the  bay.  It  is  customary  on  such  occasions  for' the 
national  vessels  in  the  harbor  to  fire  a  royal  salute.  That 
they  may  be  in  readiness  for  this,  on  the  appearance  of  the  im- 
perial standard,  the  official  notice  mentioned  is  given.  The 
Brazilian  men-of-war  man  their  yards  also,  and  nine  cheers  are 
given  for  their  sovereign  as  he  passes.  At  11  o'clock  the  firing 
was  commenced  by  the  Brazilian  flag-ship;  and,  on  going  on  deck 
I  found  myself  surrounded  by  a  blaze  from  guns  on  every  quarter. 
At  the  same  time,  a  procession  of  state  barges  was  seen  moving 
from  the  naval  arsenal  near  the  convent  of  San  Bento,  to  a  steamer 
not  far  from  us.  The  barge  of  his  Majesty,  of  white  and  green, 
was  magnificently  gilded,  and  furnished  with  a  standing  canopy 
of  green  and  gold  over  the  stern  sheets,  surmounted  by  the  im- 
perial crown.  A  naval  officer  in  epaulets  and  chapeau  acted  as 
coxswain,  the  boat  being  handsomely  pulled  by  twenty-four  fine- 
looking  oarsmen  in  a  uniform  of  white.  The  object  of  the  excur- 
sion was  a  visit  in  the  steamer  to  a  foundry  and  steam-engine 
manufactory  at  Praya  Grande,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  bay ; 
where,  in  proof  of  the  rapid  advancement  of  the  empire  in 
scientific  works  and  national  power,  native  talent  and  enterprise 
is  successfully  competing  with  foreign  skill,  in  the  construction  and 
equipment  of  men-of-war  and  other  steamers. 


7* 


CHAPTER    XIII. 


£io  BE  Jaiteibo. 


Decemher  l'6th. — On  the  morning  of  the  17th  inst.  I  was  called 
to  officiate  at  a  marriage  on  shore.  The  ceremony  took  place  at 
the  American  Consulate,  where  a  dejeuner  a  la  fourcheite  was 
given  to  the  party  by  Gov.  and  Mrs.  Kent.  The  groom,  a  native 
Brazilian,  a  young  physician,  had  attended  a  course  of  medical 
and  surgical  lectures  in  New  York.  He  became  there  a  member 
of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church ;  and  was  altogether  so  much 
interested  in  our  institutions,  as  to  file,  in  the  proper  office,  an 
intention  of  becoming  a  naturalized  citizen  of  the  United  States. 
These  circumstances  led  him  to  desire  a  marriage  ceremony  in  the 
Protestant  form,  under  the  American  flag,  though,  the  bride  being 
a  Romanist,  they  had  already  been  united  by  the  rites  of  her 
church. 

While  on  shore  on  this  occasion,  I  came  near  being  a  spec- 
tator, accidentally,  of  a  more  interesting  scene  of  the  kind.  In 
passing  the  foundling  hospital,  which  fronts  an  open,  irregular 
space  not  far  from  the  ordinary  landing,  beneath  Castle  Hill,  I 
perceived  the  grated  windows  of  the  second  and  third  stories  to 
be  filled  with  females  of  different  ages,  from  childhood  to  maturity, 
in  holiday  dress,  evidently  awaiting  the  occupancy  and  departure 
of  a  couple  of  private  carriages,  drawn  up  before  the  principal 
entrance.     Stepping  into  the  open  vestibule  of  the  building — in 


MAREIAGE    AT    THE   ORPHAN    ASYLUM.  155 

one  corner  of  which  is  the  roda,  or  turning-box,  for  the  deposit  of 
the  infants  clandestinely  left — I  rightly  conjectured  from  the 
white  gloves,  waistcoats,  and  breast-knots  of  two  or  three  young 
men  present,  that  the  occasion  was  one  of  marriage,  and  learned 
that  the  ceremony  had  just  taken  place  in  the  chapel  of  the 
hospital.  This,  which  opened  from  the  vestibule,  was,  however, 
now  empty.  An  aged  female  of  dignified  appearance,  in  a 
monastic  dress  of  white,  was  walking  back  and  forth  in  a  small 
corridor  behind  a  grated  door.  She  appeared  to  be  waiting  to 
unlock  this.  Almost  immediately  the  bride  and  groom,  in  the 
significant  garb  of  the  newly  wedded,  were  seen  to  approach  from 
the  interior.  They  were  both  quite  young.  An  elderly  lady, 
evidently  of  distinction,  attired. in  purple  velvet  with  a  display 
of  rich  laces,  jewelry  and  ostrich  plumes,  accompanied  them,  and 
was  herself  followed  by  a  dignified  and  well-dressed  gentleman, 
who  appeared  to  be  her  husband.  A  crowd  of  the  inmates  of 
the  institution  quickly  filled  the  entire  corridor  behind.  The 
bride  was  in  tears,  as  she  hurriedly  gave  a  farewell  embrace  to 
one  and  another  of  the  youthful  companions  crowding  around  her, 
and,  on  coming  to  the  aged  female  at  the  door,  dropped  on  her 
knees,  and  covered  her  hands  with  kisses  and  tears.  The  groom 
hurried  her  from  this  scene  to  the  first  carriage,  and  drove  off 
rapidly,  followed  by  the  second  containing  the  fine  folks,  probably 
the  god-mother  and  god-father,  or  the  patron  and  patroness  of  the 
bride.  The  whole  explained  to  me  a  usage,  in  connection  with  this 
establishment,  of  which  I  had  heard.  A  recolhiemento,  or  female 
orphan  asylum  is  an  appendage  of  the  foundling  hospital,  many 
of  its  eleves  being  selected  from  the  inmates  of  the  latter.  In 
addition  to  the  nurture  and  education  of  the  orphans,  care  is 
taken  to  provide  for  their  settlement  in  life,  with  the  bestowment 
of  a  marriage  portion,  varying  from  one  to  two  hundred  dollars. 
That  an  opportunity  may  be  afforded  for  young  men  of  respectable 
character  to  make  choice  of  a  wife  from  the  inmates,  the  establish- 
ment is  open  to  visitors  one  day  in  every  year — -that  of  the  anni- 
versary of  St.  Elizabeth,  the  patroness  of  the  asylum.     Before  a 


156  BRAZIL    AND    LA    PLATA. 

union  is  sanctioned,  however,  satisfactory  testimonials  of  good 
character  in  the  applicant  for  marriage  must  be  furnished,  and 
guaranties  of  ability  to  support  a  wife  be  given.  Such  was  the 
origin  of  the  marriage  which  had  just  taken  place.  The  dress 
and  lady-like  bearing  of  the  bride,  the  respectable  appearance  and 
manners  of  the  groom,  the  rich  attire,  equipages,  and  evident 
position  in  life  of  those  under  whose  patronage  they  appeared,  all 
indicated,  in  this  case,  something  in  her  lot  above  the  destiny 
of  common  orphanage. 

While  the  establishment  of  a  home  for  the  friendless  young 
is  one  of  the  most  self- commending  of  charities,  the  philanthropy 
which  provides  an  asylum  for  the  secret  reception  of  foundlings 
is  no  longer  questionable,  in  the  judgment  of  the  wisely  benevo- 
lent and  truly  good.  It  is  but  to  foster  vice,  and  to  encourage 
the  unnatural  and  depraved  in  the  abandonment  of  their  offspring. 
This  is  well  known  here,  and  readily  admitted  to  be  the  eff"ect. 
The  numbei*  yearly  left  in  the  roda,  or  turning-box,  of  this 
hospital,  amounts,  I  am  told,  by  those  best  informed,  to  five  and 
six  hundred — white,  black  and  mongrel  of  every  degree.  More 
than  half  of  these  soon  perish  from  diseases  seated  upon  them 
before  being  abandoned;  from  the  impossibility  of  securing 
natural  nourishment  for  the  feeble ;  and  from  the  various  ills  to 
which  early  infancy  under  the  most  favored  auspices  is  subject. 

December  20^/^. — One  source  of  agreeable  excitement  with 
us,  is  the  daily  anticipation  and  frequent  arrival  of  sailing  vessels 
and  steamers,  governmental  and  mercantile,  from  the  United 
States  and  various  parts  of  the  world.  The  number  of  vessels 
entering  the  port  of  Rio  annually,  besides  those  engaged  in  the 
coasting  trade,  which  are  very  numerous,  averages  about  eight 
hundred  :  importing  cargoes  to  the  amount  of  some  two  hundred 
thousand  tons.  Of  course,  scarcely  a  day  passes  without  the 
entry  of  two  or  three  foreign  vessels  in  the  regular  trade, 
besides  such  as  merely  touch  for  repairs  or  refreshment. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact — especially  in  view  of  the  achievements 
in  navigation,  of  the  Portuguese  of  old,  and  the  boldness  and 


FOREIGN    COMMERCE.  157 

enterprise  with  which  for  centuries  they  sustained  their  part  in 
the  commerce  of  the  world — that  their  descendants  here  should 
have  yielded  that  of  the  empire,  which  is  foreign,  entirely  to  the 
vessels  of  other  nations.  It  is  extremely  rare  for  a  Brazilian  ship 
to  cross  the  Atlantic,  or  double  Cape  Horn,  or  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope ;  and  I  learn,  from  Gov.  Kent,  that  not  a  single  vessel  of  the 
country  has  cleared  for  the  United  States,  since  he  has  been  consul 
here.  Their  trading  vessels,  though  small,  are  generally  well 
built,  strong,  and  well  modelled  ;  and  are  navigated  with  care  and 
safety  along  the  extended  coasts  of  the  continent,  from  the  Plata 
to  the  Amazon.  But,  as  the  consul  remarks,  "  the  native  naviga- 
tors seem  afraid  to  compete  on  the  high  seas,  with  the  vessels  of 
this  age  of  hurry  and  locomotion — with  the  reckless  driving  of 
the  '  Flying  Clouds '  and  '  White  Squalls,'  the  '  Sea  Witches,' 
and  other  wild  birds  of  the  ocean,  and  yield,  without  a  struggle, 
the  enterprises  in  foreign  commerce  to  the  hardy  northmen — the 
unwearied  and  ever-present  Yankee,  and  the  pushing  and  exacting 
Englishman."  The  truth  is,  as  he  adds,  the  Brazilian  is  not  by 
nature  a  trader  or  experimenter.  He  thinks  it  sufficient  for  him 
to  raise  coffee  and  get  it  to  a  market :  he  lacks  the  energy,  the  indus- 
try— the  earnest,  long-continued,  unwearied  effort  which  leads  one 
willingly  to  sacrifice  present  ease,  comfort,  and  quiet,  to  the  pros- 
pect of  future  gain,  and  which  makes  the  successful  merchant.  "  Go 
ahead,"  "strive,"  "  struggle,"  "  compete" — are  words  not  belong- 
ing to  his  vocabulary.  He  shrugs  his  shoulders  at  the  very  mention 
of  them — not  in  contempt,  but  in  despair ;  and  prefers  sitting  in 
his  easy  chair,  or  lolling  out  of  the  window,  to  the  tussle  of  life 
common  with  us,  of  which  the  very  thought  would  throw  him 
into  a  perspiration.  "  Let  the" negroes  work,"  is  his  motto;  "and 
let  what  they  cannot  do  remain  undone."  The  Yankee  character, 
as  exhibited  here  within  the  year  or  two  past,  in  the  rush  by  of 
the  thousands  of  emigrants  on  their  way  to  California,  struck  the 
people  with  astonishment.  They  were  looked  upon  as  most  reck- 
less and  daring  adventurers,  who,  born' in  snow-drifts  and  cradled 
in  ice,  had  a  hardihood  and  enterprise  it  was  in  vain  to  attempt 


158  BRAZIL   AND    LA   PLATA. 

to  rival.  But  I  am  forgetting  the  subject  with  which  I  com- 
menced. 

The  telegraphic  station  on  Castle  Hill,  to  and  from  which  the 
appearance  of  all  sail  in  the  offing  is  reported,  is  in  full  view  from 
our  moorings.  The  quarter-masters  of  the  Congress  are  furnished 
with  explanations  of  the  various  flags  used,  and  the  combinations 
by  which  the  nation,  character,  and  position  of  the  sail  in  sight 
are  made  known.  Few  moments  of  -the  day  pass  without  a  turn 
of  the  glass  in  that  direction.  The  distinguishing  flag  for  an 
American  vessel  is  a  long,  pointed  pennant  of  white  and  deep 
blue  in  closely-arranged  perpendicular  stripes,  giving  to  it  the 
appearance,  as  it  flutters  in  the  wind,  of  being  ring-streaked.  With 
a  Yankee  fondness  for  sobriquets  having  a  political  or  national 
import.  Jack  has  dubbed  this  pennant  "  the  coon's  tail,"  from  a 
fancied  resemblance  to  the  well-known  emblem  of  the  party  of 
which  the  great  statesman  of  Kentucky  was  so  long  an  illustrious 
leader ;  and,  "  the  coon's  tail  is  up  ! "  or  "  there  goes  the  coon's 
tail !  "  is  the  regular  announcement  of  an  American  ship  in  the 
offing. 

Among  uncounted  merchant  vessels  which  have  thus  been 
reported  since  our  return  from  the  Plata,  there  have  also  been 
the  frigate  Raritan,  storeship  Relief,  and  sloops-of-war  Saratoga 
and  St.  Mary  of  the  navy.  The  St.  Mary  was  especially  wel- 
come from  the  number  of  officers  attached  to  her,  closely  associ- 
ated in  friendship  with  several  on  board  the  Congress.  Captain 
Magruder,  her  commander,  is  of  this  number ;  and  is  justly  held 
in  high  estimation.  The  intercourse  on  his  part  with  our  ship 
has  been  most  intimate.  After  an  interchange  of  civilities  by 
various  parties  on  board  both  vessels.  Captain  Mcintosh  and  I 
took  dinner  informally  with  him  to-day,  with  the  purpose  of  a 
drive  afterwards  to  the  Botanic  Gardens.  These  lie  six  or  eight 
miles  south-west  from  the  city,  on  the  sea-shore,  beneath  the  range 
of  mountains,  of  which  the  Corcovado  and  the  Gavia  are  such 
conspicuous  points.  For  three  miles  the  way  is  the  same  described 
in  a  visit  to  Botafogo.     The  remainder  does  not  difler  materially 


BOTANICAL    GARDEN.  159 

from  it,  except  that  the  suburbs  of  the  place  change  gradually, 
by  the  greater  distances  intervening  between  the  villas  and 
country  houses  which  adorn  the  sides  of  the  road,  into  a  thinly- 
occupied  and  open  country.  At  the  distance  of  five  miles,  the 
interval  between  the  mountains  and  the  sea  is  taken  up  chiefly  by 
a  lake  or  lagoon  called  Rodrigo  de  Freitas.  A  short  drive  hence 
over  a  sandy  plain  brought  us  to  the  gates  of  the  garden.  This 
was  originally  a  pleasure-ground  of  the  royal  family  in  the  time 
of  John  VI.,  and  was  appropriated  by  him  to  its  present  use, 
on  the  accidental  arrival  in  1809  of  various  cases  of  exotics  from 
the  Isle  of  France,  in  a  vessel  which  brought  to  Rio  a  company 
of  Portuguese  prisoners.  The  collection  was  afterwards  augmented, 
at  the  order  of  the  king,  by  additions  from  Cayenne,  then  under 
his  rule ;  and  eventually  by  the  importation  of  the  tea-plant  from 
China,  with  a  company  of  Chinese  laborers  skilled  in  its  cultiva- 
tion and  in  the  preparation  of  the  leaf  for  use.  The  attempt  proved 
a  failure ;  not  so  much  from  a  want  of  adaptation  in  the  soil  and 
climate,  or  from  the  quality  of  the  tea  produced,  as  from  the 
expense  above  the  cost  of  the  imported  article.  Both  here,  and 
at  Santa  Cruz — an  imperial  estate  fifty  miles  west  of  Rio,  where 
also  a  plantation  was  formed — the  culture  has  been  abandoned  ;  a 
few  plats  of  stunted,  mildewed,  and  neglected  bushes  only  are 
left  as  a  botanical  curiosity. 

The  gardens  cover  some  fifty  acres  of  ground — an  alluvial 
flat  of  rich  soil,  and  constitute  a  nursery  from  which  plants  of  the 
cinnamon,  nutmeg,  clove,  camphor,  allspice,  and  tea,  originally  in- 
troduced here,  have  been  widely  dispersed  through  the  empire. 
Specimens  of  all  these  were  examined  by  us. 

The  cinnamon  and  camphor  trees  are  of  the  laurel  family — 
the  laurus  cinnamonum  and  laurus  camphora  ; — the  nutmeg, 
clove,  and  allspice,  of  the  myrtle.  The  cinnamon  grows  to  a 
height  of  fifteen  or  twenty  feet.  The  stem  and  branches  are 
of  a  light  green ;  the  leaves,  of  the  shape  of  the  laurel,  are  also 
j^     light  green,  and  are  pliant  and  tender.    When  they  first  bud  forth 


I 


160  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

advance  in  growth.  The  blossoms  are  white.  There  is  no  per- 
ceptible fragrance,  either  in  the  stem  or  leaf,  till  bruised  or  broken, 
but  both  when  bitten  have  the  cinnamon  flavor.  The  clove  is  the 
flower-bud  of  the  caryopKyllus  aromaticus.  The  tree  was  in 
blossom  and  the  bud  very  strong  in  its  peculiar  taste.  Specimens 
of  all  these  in  branch,  blossom,  and  fruit,  were  readily  furnished 
by  a  negro  in  attendance,  who  expected  a  trifling  gratuity  in 
return. 

Long  avenues  of  the  Sumatra  nut — vernicia  montana — fur- 
nish abundant  shade,  and  yield  great  quantities  of  nuts.  The 
mulberry  tree  is  also  introduced  for  the  purpose  of  shade.  The 
bread-fruit — artocarpus  incisa — so  familiar  to  me  in  the  South 
Seas,  was  also  conspicuous  in  the  beauty  of  its  strongly-marked, 
shining,  and  digitated  foliage,  and  its  ponderous  fruit  of  light 
green. 

The  whole  garden,  though  a  national  property,  for  the  good 
keeping  of  which  an  annual  appropriation  is  made  by  the  imperial 
legislature,  appeared  in  a  neglected  state.  There  is  nothing 
strikingly  tasteful  or  artistic  in  the  arrangement  or  embellish- 
ment of  the  ground.  At  the  western  end,  a  mountain  stream 
comes  brawling  down  a  rocky  channel,  and  on  reaching  the 
level,  meanders  lazily  eastward,  between  banks  beautifully  fringed 
with  bamboo,  and  overhung  by  the  dense  foliage  of  loftier  growth. 
Where  this  mountain  stream  enters,  there  is  an  attempt,  on 
a  small  scale,  at  landscape  gardening.  A  little  basin  of  water 
with  projecting  points,  and  an  islet  or  two,  overhung  by  willows, 
represents  a  miniature  lake ;  and  near  by,  on  an  artificial  and 
terraced  mound,  is  a  chapel-like  summer  house,  formed  of  the 
flat  cedar  or  arbor  vitae,  so  planted  and  so  trained  as  to  be  per- 
fectly architectural  in  its  outline,  and  to  appear  to  be  an  old  ruin 
overrun  with  living  green.  That,  however,  which  more  than  any 
other  ornamental  feature  of  the  place  attracted  our  notice,  was  an 
avenue  of  royal  palms,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  and  more  in  length, 
leading  in  a  straight  line  from  the  principal  gate,  and  crossed  at 
right  angles,  midway  of  the  distance,  by  another  correspondiug 


STOBM    FROM    THE    CORCOVADO.  161 

with  it.  The  trees  are  at  perfectly  regular  distances  from  each 
other ;  are  all  of  one  size,  and,  either  by  nature  or  by  artificial 
training,  rise  from  uniformly  shaped  swelling  bases,  into  perpen- 
dicular shafts,  forty  or  fifty  feet  in  height.  The  silver-gray 
trunks,  marked  in  their  whole  length  by  rings,  showing  the 
growth  of  each  year,  terminate  in  plumed  capitals  of  true  Corin- 
thian magnificence.  The  effect  of  the  perspective  is  very  beauti- 
ful :  strikingly  like  that  which  we  would  imagine  a  colonnade  of 
equal  length  in  Egyptian  or  Asiatic  architecture  to  be. 

As  a  botanical  garden,  the  place  is  unworthy  the  name,  and 
useless  as  such  to  the  cause  of  science.  The  realization  of  one 
here,  such  as  John  VI.  projected,  would  be  exceedingly  interest- 
ing and  important.  There  is  no  empire  in  the  world  in  which  a 
botanical  garden  on  a  magnificent  scale  could  be  more  readily 
established,  or  whose  native  vegetable  kingdom  is  so  rich,  and  so 
full  of  novelties  to  the  scientific  world. 

When  we  left  the  city  the  weather  was  magnificent ;  the 
atmosphere  clear  and  pure,  elastic  and  bracing,  and  the  lights 
and  shades  on  the  scenery  in  perfection.  But  ere  we  were  aware 
of  it,  an  entire  change  occurred.  The  Corcovado  towers  in  gi- 
gantic altitude  over  the  garden,  and,  almost  without  warning, 
a  violent  storm  came  rushing  down  its  precipices,  bearing  with  it 
masses  of  cloud  of  impenetrable  blackness,  surcharged  with  tor- 
rents of  rain,  which  were  poured  upon  us  with  unabating  fury 
during  the  entire  drive  back  to  the  city.  Notwithstanding  the 
individual  discomfort  incident  to  such  showers,  they  are  wel- 
comed with  joy  by  the  people  in  general,  as  indications  of  contin- 
ued health.  Previous  to  the  epidemic  of  the  last  year,  they  were 
almost  as  regular  in  their  return  as  the  afternoon  itself.  But 
during  the  pestilence  they  intermitted  almost  entirely.  The  reg- 
ularity of  the  sea  breeze  also  was  greatly  interrupted  ;  and  light- 
ning and  thunder  for  the  most  part  ceased.  Believing  that  these 
meteorological  changes  were  connected  in  some  way  with  the  in- 
fection existing  in  the  atmosphere,  a  return  of  the  showers  of  old 
is  regarded  as  an  indication  of  the  accustomed  salubrity  of  the  air. 


162  BRAZIL    AND    LA    PLATA. 

Decemher  27th. — The  little  chapel  of  Santa  Lucia  fronts  the 
bay  at  the  southern  end  of  the  promenade  beneath  Castle  Hill. 
This  saint  is  a  kind  of  deputy-patroness  of  seafaring  men,  under 
Our  Lady  of  Grood  Voyages,  whose  shrine  crowns  so  conspicuously 
the  little  islet  of  Bonviagem.  In  my  usual  walk  two  or  three  even- 
ings ago,  I  accidentally  fell  upon  an  anniversary  fete  here ;  the 
birthday  of  her  saintship.  The  chapel  is  the  parish  church  of  the 
neighborhood,  and  I  could  scarcely  have  believed,  without  the  ocu- 
lar proof,  that  within  hearing  of  the  hum  of  the  busy  metropolis 
a  gathering  of  people  so  entirely  rustic  and  village-like,  could 
have  been  brought  together.  Great  preparation  for  the  celebra- 
tion had  been  made.  Long  avenues  of  young  palm-trees,  twenty 
or  thirty  feet  in  height,  and  from  which  brilliant  lamps  were  sus- 
pended, were  planted  beside  the  road  along  the  water  ;  alternating 
with  these,  were  lofty  flag-staffs,  from  which  varied  colored  ban- 
ners and  streamers  floated  in  the  breeze.  Frameworks  with  com- 
plicated pyrotechnic  preparations  were  placed  thickly  around,  as 
in  the  parks  and  squares  of  New  York,  on  the  Fourth  of  July. 
Indeed,  the  whole  aspect  of  things — the  crowds  of  people  in  holi- 
day dress,  the  many  venders  of  refreshments  in  fruit  and  confec- 
tionery, cakes,  orangeade  and  orgeat,  the  talk  and  the  laugh,  and 
the  general  hilarity — was  that  of  a  general  muster,  or  other  simi- 
lar holiday,  in  the  United  States.  The  little  chapel  was  in  a 
flutter  of  flags  and  gay  hangings  without,  and  within,  gaudy  in 
the  profusion  of  gilt  paper  and  tinsel,  and  coarse  artificial  flowers. 
It  was,  too,  one  blaze  of  light  from  a  pyramid  of  wax  candles  on 
the  high  altar. 

An  animated  sale  of  engravings  of  Santa  Lucia  was  going 
on.  These  were  in  different  degrees  of  artistic  execution,  and  on 
various  qualities  of  paper  to  suit  the  taste  and  finances  of  the 
purchasers.  Men,  women,  and  children,  black  and  white,  master 
and  mistress,  freeman  and  slave,  crowded  with  equal  earnestness 
around  the  priest,  seated  behind  a  counter  for  the  sale,  all  seem- 
ing alike  delighted  to  secure  the  consecrated  likeness,  as,  deposit- 


CHURCHES    ON    CHRISTMAS    EVE.  163 

ing  their  money,  one  after  another  were  served  with  it,  and  then 
struggled  back  through  the  throng. 

A  service  of  music  took  place  at  eight  o'clock ;  and  as  this 
hour  approached,  the  little  church  became  crowded  to  suffocation. 
The  females  were  admitted  to  a  portion  of  the  nave,  nearest  the 
chancel,  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  area  by  a  rail  They  sat 
in  full  dress  on  the  carpeted  pavement,  as  closely  crowded  as  pos- 
sible, while  the  men  outside  of  this  separating  line  stood  as 
thickly  packed.  The  music,  both  instrumental  and  vocal,  was 
that  of  a  regular  opera,  and  delightfully  performed.  The  festiv- 
ities continued  till  midnight :  and,  as  we  returned  by  boat  to  the 
ship  at  a  later  hour  than  usual,  rockets  in  constant  succession 
were  seen  rushing  to  the  sky,  and  bursting  in  glittering  corusca- 
tions of  colored  lights ;  balls  of  j&re  were  flying  through  the  air ; 
Chinese  crackers  every  where  exploding ;  and  fiery  serpents  hiss- 
ing along  the  ground.  But  there  was  no  intoxication,  no  quar- 
relling, no  rudeness ;  in  their  stead,  general  civility,  decorum, 
and  light-heartedness. 

On  Christmas  eve,  I  visited  the  cathedral  on  the  Palace 
Square,  and  the  church  of  San  Francisco  de  Paulo  in  the  square 
of  the  Hoscio.  The  former  was  first  open.  It  was  of  course 
richly  ornamented  with  tapestries  of  brocade  and  velvet,  and 
hangings  of  cloth  of  silver  and  gold,  and  was  brilliantly  illumi- 
nated with  wax  lights,  amid  a  profusion  of  artificial  flowers.  The 
chancel  was  filled  with  the  dignitaries  of  the  church,  in  striking 
costumes  of  scarlet  and  purple  silk,  with  any  quantity  of  the  rich- 
est lace  in  the  form  of  capes  and  togas.  The  Bishop,  wearing  a 
mitre  studded  with  jewels  of  immense  size,  and  holding  a  massive 
gilded  crosier,  was  seated  on  his  throne  on  one  side  of  the  high 
altar  :  presenting,  with  the  encircling  groups  of  Dean  and  Chap- 
ter and  officiating  priests,  a  scene  of  hierarchical  stateliness  and 
splendor,  befitting  the  palmiest  days  of  papal  supremacy.  The 
music  here  is  always  of  the  first  order  :  it  was  on  this  occasion, 
as  usual,  altogether  operatic  in  style  and  execution. 

The  church  of  St.  Francis  is  much  more  spacious  than  this 


164  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

of  the  Carmelites.  The  interior  is  unbroken  by  galleries  or  col- 
onnades, and  the  coup-d'oeil,  on  entering,  was  now  brilliant  and 
effective.  A  ball-room  for  a  civic  fete  could  not  have  been  deco- 
rated with  more  taste  and  richness,  or  with  greater  regard  to 
effect  on  the  eye.  Lines  of  closely-arranged  lights  marked  the 
general  architecture  of  the  whole  interior;  while,  midway  be- 
tween the  pavement  and  loftily- arched  ceilings,  beautiful  clus- 
ters in  brackets,  gave  a  dazzling  brilliancy  to  the  walls.  The 
display  upon  and  above  the  high  altar  was  magnificent.  The 
music  was  fine ;  and  the  throng  greater  than  at  the  cathedral, 
more  mixed  in  its  character,  and  full  of  levity.  A  third  of  the 
nave  was  appropriated  exclusively  to  females.  The  various  per- 
sonal attractions  and  deportment  of  these,  seated  closely  together 
in  full  evening  dress,  seemed  chiefly  to  occupy  the  attention  of 
the  men ;  while  innuendo,  badinage,  and  loose  remarks  upon  them 
were  freely  passed  in  whispers  by  one  and  another.  The  place 
seemed  little  like  one  of  devotion,  and  any  other  than  a  house  of 
God. 

January  Sth. — We  are  once  more  at  sea.  The  weather  for 
the  last  few  days,  though  magnificent  in  clearness  and  brilliancy, 
has  been  too  excessively  hot  for  us  to  remain  longer  with  comfort 
at  Rio.  A  rumor,  too,  of  the  reappearance  of  the  epidemic  of  the 
last  year,  was  becoming  prevalent,  and  the  region  of  the  Plata 
was  deemed  in  every  respect  most  desirable  for  the  ship.  At 
this  season  of  the  year,  light  winds  and  calms  are  characteristic 
of  the  weather  at  sea,  in  the  latitudes  between  Rio  de  Janeiro  and 
the  Rio  La  Plata  :  it  is  probable,  therefore,  that  our  passage  of 
ten  days  or  a  fortnight  thither,  will  be  destitute  of  any  thing 
worthy  of  record. 

The  cordiality  which  I  mentioned  as  existing  between  the  offi- 
cers of  the  Congress  and  those  of  the  British  flag-ship,  Southamp- 
ton, continued  to  the  last.  A  banquet,  surpassing  in  its  appoint- 
ments any  thing  upon  so  large  a  scale  that  I  recollect  to  have  wit- 
nessed on  board  ship,  was  given  some  time  since  by  the  officers 
of  her  gun-room  to  those  of  the  Congress — embracing  as  guests, 


I 


TWELFTH-NIGHT    PARTY.  165 

the  commanders-in- chief  and  captains  of  both  vessels ;  and  night 
before  last,  Admiral  and  Mrs.  Reynolds  gave  a  farewell  dinner  to 
Commodore  McKeever,  Captain  Mcintosh,  and  one  or  two  others 
from  our  ship.  It  was  Twelfth-night,  the  last  of  the  Christmas 
holidays ;  but  it  was  in  vain  that  I  attempted  to  bring  into  exercise 
any  associations  of  the  season,  in  connection  with  my  thoughts  of 
home.  While  suffering  here  more  than  midsummer  heat,  it  is 
difficult  to  reconcile  even  the  imagination  to  a  picture  of  festivi- 
ties on  the  same  occasion,  with  the  accompaniments  of  howling 
winds  and  drifting  snows — a  frozen  river  in  front  of  you,  and  a 
leafless  grove  behind. 

This  farewell  entertainment  was  even  more  genial  in  its  sym- 
pathies than  any  of  those  previously  enjoyed.  The  company 
embraced  a  number  of  intelligent  and  spiritually-minded  Chris- 
tians. A  seat  between  two  of  these  fell  to  me,  and  I  was  most 
agreeably  and  profitably  entertained.  It  is  ever  a  delight  to  me 
to  find  intelligent  piety  openly  professed  and  consistently  main- 
tained by  a  young  officer,  especially  where  an  elevated  position 
in  social  life,  as  well  as  the  military  profession,  exposes  the  indi- 
vidual to  peculiar  temptations  from  the  world.     Such  is  the  case 

with  young  W ,  and  such  that  of  his  chosen  companions.     He 

lent  me,  a  few  days  since,  a  memoir  of  a  young  friend,  an  offi- 
cer in  the  army,  printed  like  that  of  your  early  companion,  M — 

C ,  for  private  circulation  only.    Like  hers,  it  is  a  portraiture 

from  life  of  gifted  and  devoted  youthful  piety.     Lieut.  St.  J , 

the  subject  of  it,  went  to  India  on  duty,  in  the  war  of  Afghanistan. 
The  cholera  broke  out  in  his  regiment  when  on  march  there. 
Fearless  of  consequences,  and  trustful  in  faith  and  Christian  hope, 
he  gave  himself  up  at  once  to  unremitted,  personal  attendance 
upon  the  sick  and  dying  soldiers.  Though  but  a  youth  of  twenty- 
two,  the  parting  breath  of  many  of  these  was  spent  in  blessings 
upon  him,  as  a  minister  of  consolation  and  spiritual  grace  to 
them,  till  seized  at  last  himself,  he  was  carried  off  at  the  end  of 
six  hours,  with  the  triumphant  exclamation  on  his  lips,  "  All's 
well ! " 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

MONTEVTDKO. 

January  Z^th,  1851. — Our  passage  "down,"  as  the  phrase  is, 
was  devoid  of  incident.  We  arrived  on  the  night  of  the  20th 
inst.,  and  are  at  anchor  in  the  outer  roadstead.  In  October,  I 
described  the  general  aspect  of  the  mount,  the  citj,  and  the  sur- 
rounding country  from  this ;  and  reminded  you  of  the  existence 
of  a  civil  war,  and  the  close  siege  of  the  city,  for  eight  years 
past,  by  Oribe,  a  citizen  of  Montevideo,  and  formerly  President  of 
the  Republic  of  which  it  is  the  capital.  The  right  to  this  office, 
though  once  resigned  and  abandoned  by  him,  he  still  claims  ;  and 
to  enforce  it,  invaded  the  State  with  an  army  of  Argentines,  fur- 
nished by  Rosas,  Governor  of  Buenos  Ayres,  and  minister  of 
foreign  affairs  for  the  Argentine  States.  With  this  he  would 
have  gained  possession  of  the  town  long  ago,  had  it  not  been  for 
the  armed  intervention,  in  1845,  of  England  and  France  ;  and  the 
continued  guardianship  of  the  place  by  the  latter,  with  a  squad- 
ron, in  the  roadstead,  and  a  body  of  fifteen  hundred  or  two 
thousand  troops  on  shore. 

The  principal  European  powers,  rejecting  the  pretensions  of 
Oribe,  acknowledge  the  constituted  authorities  of  the  inside,  or 
city  party  only,  as  the  government  of  the  Republic,  The  policy 
of  the  United  States  being  a  strict  neutrality.  Commodore 
McKeever  pays  a  like  respect  to  both ;  and,  under  an  escort  fur- 


CONDITION    OF    MONTEVIDEO.  167 

nished  by  Oribe,  has  paid  an  official  visit  to  him  at  his  camp 
outside  of  the  lines,  as  well  as  one  to  the  President  within,  at  the 
government  house  in  the  city. 

When  here  in  October,  an  armistice  had  existed  for  some 
time,  in  connection  with  the  negotiations  then  pending  between 
the  belligerent  parties  and  Admiral  Le  Predour,  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  French  force.  We  had  not  heard  of  its  termination  : 
but  a  movement  of  the  troops  on  shore  at  daylight,  the  morning 
after  our  arrival,  attracted  the  notice  of  those  on  board  on  watch, 
and  led  to  the  supposition  that  an  engagement  was  about  to  take 

place.     A  messenger  from  my  ever  mindful  friend  E ,  the 

officer  of  the  deck  at  the  time,  summoned  me  to  witness  it ;  and 
for  an  hour,  with  other  officers  of  the  ship,  I  gazed  through  a  glass 
upon  what  seemed  a  spirited  conflict,  between  the  outside  and 
inside  forces.  We  learned  afterwards,  however,  that  it  was  only 
a  sham  battle  between  different  parties  of  the  French  troops, 
and  the  Montevidean  soldiery,  composed  of  a  foreign  legion  of 
Basques  and  Italians,  and  a  native  regiment  of  negroes.  So  far 
as  the  effect  upon  the  eye,  and,  under  our  misapprehension,  upon 
the  heart  was  concerned,  there  was,  in  the  manoeuvres  of  the 
battle  field — the  rapid  charge,  the  roar  of  cannon,  the  sharp 
rattle  of  musketry,  and  the  flying  through  the  air  and  the  burst- 
ing of  shells — much  of  the  reality  of  an  actual  engagement. 

Poor  Montevideo,  for  nearly  a  half  century  past,  has  been 
singularly  ill-fated,  even  for  a  South  American  city.  The  greater 
part  of  that  period,  it  has  been  the  victim  of  calamitous  wars, 
either  foreign  or  civil.  In  1807,  while  yet  a  colonial  dependency 
of  Spain,  it  was  besieged,  bombarded,  and  carried  by  storm  by 
the  English,  under  Sir  Samuel  Achmuty.  After  the  inglorious 
defeat  of  Gen.  Whithead  at  Buenos  Ay  res  in  1808,  and  the 
consequent  expulsion  of  the  British  from  the  Plata,  as  a  colonial 
city  faithful  to  the  crown  of  Spain  it  was  besieged  from  1810 
to  1814,  and  eventually  made  to  capitulate  to  the  troops  of  the 
then  revolted  and  republican  province  of  Buenos  Ayres.  Shortly 
afterwards,  the  republican  forces  being  withdrawn,  it  fell  into  the 


168  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

hands  of  the  bandit  Artigas,  a  native  chieftain,  so  lawless  and 
marauding  in  his  rule  at  homo,  and  in  his  depredations  on  the 
adjoining  frontiers  of  Brazil,  as  to  give  just  cause  for  invasion  by 
the  Portuguese  of  that  kingdom,  who  gained  possession  of  the 
city  in  1817. 

This  occupation  of  the  place  led  to  a  warfare  of  more  than 
ten  years,  between  the  royalists  of  Brazil,  and  the  republicans  of 
Buenos  Ayres,  the  chief  disasters  of  which  centred  in  Monte- 
video ;  till,  in  1829,  through  the  intervention  of  England,  a  peace 
was  eifected,  by  the  withdrawal,  by  both  parties,  of  all  claim  to 
the  territory  in  dispute — known  then  by  the  name  of  the  Banda 
Oriental — on  condition  that  it  should  constitute  an  independent 
Republic,  to  be  called  Uruguay,  after  the  great  river  which  forms 
the  western  boundary  between  it  and  the  Argentine  States. 

From  that  period  till  the  year  1842,  the  territory  enjoyed 
peace.  Under  a  constitutional  government,  with  a  president, 
ministry,  judiciary,  and  legislature  of  two  houses,  both  city  and 
country  had  great  prosperity.  The  population  of  the  city 
increased  rapidly  from  fifteen  to  fifty  thousand,  and  that  of  the 
state  to  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand.  The  exports  in  a  few 
years  amounted  to  six  millions  of  dollars,  and  the  imports  to  five 
millions.  Fortunes  were  readily  accumulated ;  fine  buildings  in 
great  numbers  were  erected  within  the  city;  and  beautiful 
country  houses,  with  tasteful  and  luxurious  surroundings,  spread 
over  the  environs  without.  Poverty  and  want  were  unknown,  and 
the  evil  days  seemed  entirely  past.  But  the  civil  war,  into  which 
the  republic  was  plunged  by  Oribe,  soon  produced  a  sad  change. 
The  invading  Argentines  speedily  devastated  the  entire  country, 
and  by  the  wanton  destruction  of  vast  herds  of  horses  and 
cattle — the  chief  sources  of  its  wealth  and  commerce  in  hides, 
jerked  beef,  and  tallow — and  the  plunder  of  their  estancias  or 
farms,  paralyzed  the  enterprise  of  the  inhabitants,  and  forced 
them  to  emigrate ;  while  the  close  siege  of  the  town,  intercepting 
all  supplies  for  support  and  all  means  of  commerce,  at  once 
sapped  the  sources  of  its  prosperity,  and  drove  the  citizens  by  tens 


\ 


FIRST    IMPRESSIONS.  16-9 

of  thousands  elsewhere  for  maintenance  and  life.  T)ie  result 
upon  the  wealth  and  population  of  the  port  may  be  readily 
imagined.  I  do  not  recollect  ever  before  to  have  been  so  deeply 
impressed  with  the  desolateness  of  any  place  as  on  first  landing 
here,  and  on  taking  a  stroll  through  its  streets,  and  the  limited 
suburbs  within  the  lines  of  defence.  The  mole,'  once  alive  with 
busy  commerce,  was  as  deserted  and  silent  as  a  churchyard ;  and 
excepting  at  Pompeii,  I  never  wandered  through  streets  which 
seemed  to  be  more  truly  those  of  a  city  of  the  dead. 

This  impression,  however,  I  afterwards  discovered  to  be  in 
some  degree  deceptive,  owing,  partly,  to  the  hour  of  the  day ; 
that  for  the  universal  siesta.  Scarcely  an  individual  was  to  be 
seen  anywhere.  With  screened  windows  and  closed  doors,  the 
inhabitants,  young  and  old,  rich  and  poor,  were  yielding  them- 
selves to  the  insinuating  influences  of  the  dolce  far  niente,  or  to 
the  more  oblivious  indulgences  of  sound  sleep.  It  is  now  mid- 
summer here ;  the  day  was  hot,  for  this  latitude,  and  every  thing 
in  a  state  of  Spanish  repose  customary  in  such  weather,  after  an 
early  dinner.  The  dilapidation  and  decay  on  every  side,  the 
manifest  poverty,  and  the  seemingly  utter  desertion  of  dwelling 
after  dwelling,  through  whole  streets,  were  so  saddening  and 
oppressive,  that,  for  the  time,  I  felt  that  I  would  never  wish  to 
visit  the  shore  again.  As  to  the  suburbs  without  the  walls,  ex- 
cavated Pompeii  itself  is  scarcely  more  a  region  of  ruin  and 
desolation. 

An  hour  at  the  American  consulate  afterwards — where  our 
party  received  the  most  frank  and  hospitable  welcome  from  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hamilton  and  family;  an  application  there  within 
fifteen  minutes,  for  my  official  services  from  a  stranger  in  the 
xnaTriage  ceremony — showing  that  bad  as  the  state  of  things  in 
Montevideo  is,  the  voice  of  the  bride  and  of  the  bridegroom  is 
Btill  to  be  heard  in  her  streets — with  other  assurances  of  a  better 
state  in  general  than  I  had  been  led  to  infer,  changed  in  some 
degree  the  current  of  my  sympathies.  Still,  however  deceptive 
the  first  impressions  on  landing  may  have  been,  there  is  too  much 
8 


170  BRAZIL  AND  LA  PLATA. 

reality  in  .the  wretchedness  to  which  hundreds  and  thousands  of 
the  inhabitants  are  reduced,  to  allow  them  to  be  at  once  dis- 
pelled. 

The  city  is  finely  situated  upon  a  peninsula  of  granite,  which, 
in  its  form,  has  been  compared,  not  inaptly,  to  the  shape  of  a 
tortoise's  back  :  an  area  a  half  mile  square  descending  gradually 
on  three  sides,  from  a  central  height  of  a  hundred  feet  or  more, 
to  the  level  of  the  surrounding  water.  This,  though  only  a  river,  is 
seemingly  a  sea ;  for,  a  hundred  miles  in  width,  it  presents  a  hori- 
zon on  the  south  as  boundless  as  the  ocean.  Like  most  towns  of 
Spanish  origin,  the  streets  are  rectangular,  with  an  open  square  or 
plaza  in  the  centre,  on  which  stand  the  principal  church  and  the 
cabilda,  or  town  hall  and  prison.  It  is  well  built.  Many  of  the 
private  residences  are  spacious,  and  the  principal  public  buildings, 
the  cathedral,  and  an  unfinished  hospital,  are  rather  imposing  in 
their-  architecture.  From  long  disuse  the  streets  are  in  many 
places  tufted  with  grass,  and  in  others,  the  pavements  are  so  torn 
up  and  broken  as  to  be  impassable  with  wheels. 

One  redeeming  fact,  in  regard  to  the  general  want  of  interest 
in  the  place,  has  very  unexpectedly  presented  itself  to  me  per- 
sonally, in  an  invitation  from  the  standing  committee  of  the 
British  Episcopal  Church,  to  officiate  for  them  in  public  worship 
on  the  Sabbath.  This  I  have  already  done,  and  shall  continue 
to  do  whenever  the  Congress  shall  be  in  the  Plata.  The  English 
government,  with  commendable  interest  for  the  spiritual  good  of 
its  subjects  abroad,  makes  a  liberal  provision,  under  certain  con- 
ditions, for  the  maintenance  of  the  ministry  and  its  ordinances 
where  they  may  be.  Its  chief  embassies  in  foreign  lands  are 
furnished  with  regular  chaplains;  and,  wherever  British  subjects 
abroad  contribute  to  a  fund  for  the  ministrations  of  the  Gospel 
among  them,  the  same  amount,  to  a  specified  limit — four  hundred 
pounds  is  the  maximum,  I  believe — is  allowed  by  act  of  parliament 
for  the  same  object. 

Eight  or  ten  years  ago,  Samuel  Lafone,  Esq.,  a  principal 
English  merchant  here,  and  a  chief  capitalist  and  landed  propri- 


BRITISH   CHURCH.  Vft 

etor  in  the  Uruguay,  secured  from  the  authorities  the  privilege 
of  erecting  a  chapel  for  Protestant  worship.  The  site  of  an 
elevated  circular  bastion,  overlooking  the  rocky  shores  of  the 
river,  on  the  south  side  of  the  town,  was  chosen  for  the  purpose, 
and  purchased  by  him.  Upon  this,  at  a  cost  of  forty-five  or  fifty 
thousand  dollars,  he  erected  a  fine  edifice  in  Grecian  architecture. 
It  is  of  brick,  stuccoed,  and  painted  in  imitation  of  Portland 
stone,  and  is  ornamented  in  the  front  by  a  well  proportioned  pedi- 
ment, supported  by  four  lofty  Doric  columns,  and  altogether  is 
one  of  the  most  conspicuous  architectural  ornaments  of  the  city. 
The  interior  is  spacious  and  lofty,  the  wood-work — the  pews, 
chancel-railing,  the  reading  desk,  pulpit,  and  organ-loft — being  of 
solid  mahogany,  and  is  capable  of  accommodating  an  audience  of 
several  hundreds.  When  completed,  Mr.  Lafone  made  an  uncon- 
ditional gift  of  it  to  the  British  community  resident  here.  These 
joined  by  the  few  Americans  engaged  in  commerce,  raised  a  fund 
sufficient,  with  the  governmental  gratuity,  for  the  comfortable 
support  of  a  rector.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Armstrong  officiated  for 
several  years  in  that  capacity,  and  till  ill  health  obliged  him  and 
his  family,  not  long  since,  to  seek  a  different  climate.  The  Rev. 
Mr.  Lenhart  of  the  Methodist  Church,  my  predecessor  aB  chap- 
lain of  the  American  squadron  on  this  station,  was  invited  by  the 
standing  committee  to  occupy  the  pulpit  thus  left  vacant :  and 
now,  with  equal  ecclesiastic  liberality,  on  the  part  of  the  com- 
mittee and  church,  I  am  invested  with  a  like  temporary  rector- 
ship. 

It  is  customary  to  have  but  one  service  on  the  Sabbath.  This 
takes  place  at  one  o'clock,  the  earliest  hour  practicable  for  me  to 
be  on  shore,  after  the  discharge  of  my  official  duties  on  board 
the  Congress. 

The  interruptions  to  commerce,  and  the  disasters  attending 
the  long  siege,  have  reduced  the  Protestant  residents  of  Monte- 
video comparatively  to  a  mere  handful,  and  the  usual  audience 
composed  of  English,  Scotch  and  American  worshippers,  male  and 
female,  numbers  only  from  sixty  to  eighty  persons.     Still  it  is  a 


172  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

privilege  to  minister  in  holy  things,  even  to  so  small  an  assem- 
blage, with  '  none  to  hurt  or  make  afraid '  amidst  a  people  once 
wholly  given  to  superstition  and  bigotry,  and  to  witness  a  depth 
of  interest  and  solemnity  of  devotion  characteristic  of  spiritual 
Christianity.  I  have  already  been  called  to  officiate  at  two 
marriages,  and  have  twice  administered  the  ordinance  of  baptism. 
Thus,  though  a  Presbyterian  of  the  '  straightest  sect,'  I  feel  it  not 
only  a  privilege  and  happiness,  but  a  duty,  under  the  circum- 
stances, to  follow  the  prescribed  ritual  of  the  English  prayer-book 
in  worship,  and — in  surplice  and  bands — to  pray  statedly,  not  only 
"  for  all  in  authority,"  but  specifically,  for  "  the  most  gracious 
Lady  the  Queen  Victoria,  His  Royal  Highness  Prince  Albert, 
Albert,  Prince  of  Wales,  and  all  the  royal  family." 


CHAPTER    XV. 

BUBNOS  AtSES, 

February  21st — I  am  unexpectedly  in  Buenos  Ayres,  having 
accompanied  Commodore  McKeever  in  an  official  visit  to  General 
Rosas,  tlie  sagacious  but  unscrupulous  despot  of  the  Argentine 
Confederation. 

The  distance  from  Montevideo  is  about  a  hundred  miles  due 
west.  The  intervening  navigation  is  rendered  intricate  by  sand 
banks  and  shoals,  and  the  general  shallowness  of  the  river ;  and, 
for  the  last  forty  miles,  is  impracticable  for  a  frigate.  In  making 
the  trip,  therefore,  the  broad  pennant  of  the  Congress  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  sloop-of-war  St.  Louis,  on  board  which  the  commo- 
dore and  his  party  became,  for  the  passage,  the  guests  of  her  com- 
mander, Captain  Cock.  The  U.  S.  Brig  Bainbridge,  Lieut.  Man- 
ning, accompanied  the  flag. 

We  left  Montevideo  on  the  evening  of  the  18th  inst.  The  run 
is  usually  made  in  a  night,  but  the  wind  being  light,  the  current 
strong,  and  the  St.  Louis  not  in  sailing  trim,  we  did  not  reach  the 
outer  roadstead  here  till  the  morning  of  the  20th.  The  passage 
was  pleasant.  Though  it  is  midsummer,  the  temperature  is  cool 
and  bracing,  with  clear  skies  and  a  brilliant  atmosphere,  remark- 
able for  the  magnificence  of  its  coloring  along  the  horizon,  at 
sunrise  and  sunset.  There  is,  too,  a  full  moon  at  present ;  and 
though  the  river  from  mid-channel  is  often  seemingly  shoreless, 


* 


174  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

and  its  waters  of  the  veritable  mud-puddle  hue,  the  scene  from 
the  deck  of  the  St.  Louis,  both  by  night  and  by  day,  was  not 
without  attractions  :  especially  in  the  companionship  of  the  Bain- 
bridge.  This  is  a  beautiful  little  craft;  and  was  as  buoyant  and 
graceful  on  the  waters  as  a  bird  in  the  air,  as  with  greatly 
reduced  sail,  to  avoid  passing  us  by  her  superior  speed,  she  at 
times  fell  far  behind,  and  then  again,  with  newly  spread  wings, 
rushed  forward  closely  in  our  wake.  Various  other  sail  were  in 
sight,  at  greater  or  less  distances,  some  ascending  and  some  de- 
scending the  river,  with  no  little  display  of  nautical  evolution, 
in  making  the  best  of  their  way. 

Early  yesterday  morning,  Buenos  Ayres  was  in  sight,  at  a 
distance  of  ten  or  twelve  miles ;  gleaming  showily  in  the  sun, 
from  the  whiteness  of  the  general  architecture,  and  the  number 
of  its  lofty  and  finely  proportioned  domes  and  church  towers.  It 
is  situated  on  a  bluff,  which  extends  along  the  river  a  couple 
of  miles,  and  rises  at  the  highest  point  eighty  or  a  hundred  feet 
above  its  level.  At  the  distance,  however,  from  which  we  first  saw 
the  city,  this  formation  of  the  shore  was  scarcely  perceptible :  it 
seemed  to  be  resting,  like  Venice,  upon  the  water,  while  a  tufting 
of  tree-tops,  in  long  stretches  on  either  side,  showed  the  general 
flatness  of  the  surrounding  country.  The  river  is  here  twenty- 
five  miles  wide,  and  its  northern  shores,  equally  low  as  the  south- 
ern, are  not  ordinarily  visible.  But  for  the  smoothness  of  the 
water,  and  its  muddy  hue,  we  might  have  thought  ourselves  still 
upon  the  open  sea. 

A  first  surprise  is  the  very  great  distance  from  the  city — ^five, 
six,  and  nine  miles— at  which  vessels  of  moderate  tonnage  even, 
are  obliged,  in  the  midst  of  such  an  expanse  of  waters,  to  come 
to  anchor.  A  long  shoal  stretches  out  thus  far  in  front  of  the 
city,  preventing  nearer  approach,  except  by  vessels  of  light  draught. 
When  the  water  is  high,  such  can  cross  the  shoal,  and,  at  other 
times,  find  a  channel  by  a  circuitous  route  to  an  inner  roadstead, 
where  there  is  anchorage  for  vessels  of  different  draught,  respective- 
ly, one,  two,  and  three  miles  from  the  landing.    In  the  outer  road- 


LANDING  AT  BUENOS  AYRES.  175 

stead,  for  a  distance  of  miles,  tall  masts  rose  above  the  waters 
like  steeples  on  a  populous  plain,  while  quite  a  fleet  of  small 
vessels  was  lying  three  miles  within.  The  St.  Louis  came 
to,  six  miles  or  more  from  the  city ;  and,  after  an  exchange  of 
salutes  with  the  flag  of  Buenos  Ayres,  and  those  of  France  and 
Sardinia,  borne  by  ships-of-war  of  these  respective  nations  near 
us,  we  left  her  in  a  procession  of  small  boats. 

The  formation  of  the  shore  in  front  of  the  city,  and  for  a 
considerable  distance  above  and  below  it,  is  a  flat  tufa  rock  which 
extends  irregularly,  far  out  upon  the  sands.  Its  surface  is  fretted 
and  broken,  and,  when  the  water  is  low,  boats  cannot  approach 
the  landing  nearer  than  from  a  quarter  to  a  half  mile.  At  such 
times  the  intermediate  distance  is  made  in  strongly-constructed, 
high- wheeled  carts,  drawn  by  two  horses,  one  of  which  is  mounted 
by  a  wild-looking  postilion.  These  carts,  like  hacks  at  home,  are 
in  attendance  in  great  numbers,  for  the  transportation  of  passen- 
gers and  freight  from  the  boats  to  the  shore ;  and  often  present  a 
scene  of  strife  and  rivalry  in  the  water,  between  the  drivers, 
similar  to  those  witnessed  in  the  rush  of  carriages,  the  brandish- 
ing of  whips,  and  the  exercise  of  lungs  at  a  pier  in  New  York, 
on  the  arrival  of  a  steamer.  It  seemed  now  to  be  high  water, 
and  we  were  apprehensive  that  we  should  miss  this  novel  mode 
of  debarkation,  and  thus  lose,  for  the  time,  a  spectacle  character- 
istic of  the  place.  Our  fears  were  unfounded,  however;  for 
soon,  a  cocked  hat  of  portentous  dimensions,  with  other  insignia 
of  official  and  military  dignity  in  the  wearer — himself  of  no 
ordinary  dimensions  in  height  or  rotundity — was  seen  rising 
above  the  water.  It  was  that  of  Don  Pedro  Ximenes,  the  captain 
of  the  port,  who  had  been  deputized  by  his  imperious  master  to 
receive  the  commodore ;  and  was  patiently  waiting  in  a  cart,  far 
out  in  the  stream,  the  approach  of  the  barge.  Mr.  Grraham  of 
Ohio,  the  American  Consul,  was  also  in  attendance.  The  floor 
of  the  clumsy,  high-sided  vehicle,  was  scarcely  above  the  surface 
of  the  water,  as  we  rowed  '  handsomely '  alongside  its  open  back, 
and  stepping  aboard,  were  transferred  from  the  protecting  shadow 


176  BRAZIL  AND  LA  PLATA. 

of  the  broad  pennant,  to  that  of  Don  Pedro's  cocked  hat.  In 
this  novel  reception-room,  the  ceremonies  of  an  official  introduc- 
tion took  place  ;  and  we  were  soon  plunging  and  tumbling  through 
the  splashing  waters — a  wheel  on  either  side  rolling,  first  up  and 
then  down,  over  the  rough  tufa  bottom — with  an  artistic  lashing 
of  whip  and  vociferation  by  the  postilion,  till,  backed  up,  accord- 
ing to  custom,  in  coal-cart  style,  we  were  dumped  on  an  inclined 
plane  descending  ten  or  twelve  feet  from  the  Alemeda,  or  public 
walk  in  front  of  the  city,  to  the  water. 

A  large  crowd  had  gathered  to  witness  the  arrival — foreign 
merchants  and  native  citizens,  soldiers,  sailors,  porters,  peons  and 
boatmen.  In  the  number,  were  many  in  the  demi-savage  dress 
of  gauchos — the  peasants  of  the  country.  This  is  picturesque 
and  showy ;  and,  with  many  other  things  which  met  the  sight, 
gave  promise  of  a  more  novel  field  for  observation  than  we  had 
yet  lighted  on.  A  glaring  red  coach,  something  of  the  dimension 
and  style  of  those  employed  by  hotels  in  New  York,  in  conveying 
guests  to  and  from  the  steamboats  and  railroad  stations,  was  in 
waiting,  by  order  of  the  government,  and  quickly  conveyed  the 
commodore  to  the  Hotel  de  Provence,  in  an  adjoining  street. 
Rooms  had  been  secured  for  us  there,  and  a  hospitable  welcome 
was  extended  to  the  party,  including  Captain  Cock,  to  the  mess- 
table  of  a  private  club,  consisting  of  Mr.  Harris  of  Virginia, 
American  charge  d'afikires  to  the  Argentine  Confederation  ;  Mr. 
Graham,  American  Consul,  Count  Frolich,  Swedish  Consul-gen- 
eral; and  two  or  three  American  gentlemen,  connected  here 
with  the  principal  mercantile  houses  engaged  in  the  South  Amer- 
ican trade. 

Every  thing  in  the  general  aspect  of  the  city  is  Spanish : 
with  the  addition  to  the  universal  whitewash  on  all  that  is  ston^ 
of  an  equally  universal  display  of  red  on  all  that  is  wood  or  iron. 
This  color  of  blood  has  been  for  twenty  years  the  prescribed 
signs  of  adhesion  to  the  remarkable  man  who  maintains  here  an 
undisputed  reign  of  terror :  hence  the  red  waistcoats,  red  hat- 
bands, red  breast-knots,   universally   seen — the  red   doors,  red 


EVENING   DRIVE.  177 

•window-frames,  red  bases  to  the  houses,  red  lamp-posts,  red  carts, 
red  railings,  and  red  fixtures  on  every  thing. 

The  place  is  subject,  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  to  occasional 
high  winds  of  two  or  three  days'  continuance.  Then  the  tumul- 
tuous seas  which  roll  oyer  the  shallow  bed  of  the  river  cut  off  all 
communication  between  the  shipping  and  the  shore ;  and  the  city 
and  its  suburbs  are  filled  with  driving  dust.  Weather  of  this 
character  set  in  yesterday,  shortly  after  we  landed,  and  has  kept 
us  housed  much  of  the  time  since,  principally  at  the  reading 
rooms  of  a  club,  where  we  were  introduced,  and  where  we  found 
files  of  the  American  and  European  papers,  and  the  latest 
magazines. 

This  evening,  notwithstanding  the  wind,  Mr.  D of  New 

York,  one  of  the  mess  at  the  Provence,  took  me  a  drive  in  his 
tilbury.  Our  route  was  westward,  along  the  course  of  the  river, 
in  the  direction  of  Palermo  de  San  Benito,  the  quinta,  or  country 
seat  of  Rosas.  Policy — by  such  demonstration  of  courtly  atten- 
tion to  the  supreme  chief — as  well  as  pleasure,  leads  all  who  drive 
or  ride,  to  take  that  direction ;  and  as  we  descended  from  the 
heights  of  the  town,  through  the  Alemeda  fronting  the  river,  to 
the  road  along  its  banks,  the  whirl  of  carriages  and  gigs,  and  the 
prancing  and  galloping  of  gay  riders  on  horseback,  was  quite 
metropolitan.  The  speed  of  all  was  very  much  that  of  Grilpin — 
the  females  being  mounted  in  the  in-door  costume  of  short 
dresses,  bare  arms,  bare  necks  and  bare  heads  :  with  the  excep- 
tion, in  some  cases,  of  the  partial  covering  of  a  silk  handkerchief 
on  the  head,  tied  under  the  chin.  I  saw  none  in  the  hat  and  habit 
worn  in  England  and  America,  though  doubtless  in  a  city  where 
foreign  fashions  are  so  extensively  introduced,  these  have  been 
adopted,  to  some  extent  at  least,  by  the  higher  classes. 

On  gaining  the  level  of  the  beach,  the  road  passes  over  a  flat 
and  marshy  common,  without  any  enclosure  of  fence  or  hedge  on 
either  side.  Here,  by  the  river's  sid^  on  the  right,  was  presented, 
for  a  mile  and  more,  a  striking  spectacle,  in  hundreds  after  hun- 
dreds— I  had  almost  said   thousands  of  negro  washerwomen,  in- 


178  BRAZIL    AND    LA   PLATA. 

describable  in  their  costumes — scrubbing,  beating,  slapping,  rinsing, 
and  bleaching  ten  thousand  articles  of  clothing.  It  is  a  natural 
laundry,  to  which  the  soiled  linen  of  the  whole  city  is  brought 
for  cleansing.  The  soft  rock  of  the  shores  is  filled  with  holes, 
some  natural  and  others  artificial,  which,  on  every  flow  of  the 
tide,  are  filled  with  fresh  water.  These  are  converted  into 
wash-tubs,  and,  after  being  used,  are  left  to  be  emptied  of  the 
suds  by  the  next  flood,  and  to  be  refilled  with  clean  water  by  its 
ebb.  Each  washerwoman  has  her  own  little  reservoir  of  this 
kind,  to  which  she  gains  the  exclusive  right,  by  the  payment  of  a 
small  fee  to  the  government  The  wind  was  blowing  a  half  gale, 
lashing  the  river  into  foam,  and  dashing  the  spray  far  on  the 
shore ;  while  clouds  of  dust  on  the  land  were  driven  before  it, 
like  drifting  snow  in  a  winter's  storm  at  home.  When  on  our 
way  back  the  whole  company,  spread  along  the  banks  for  a  mile 
or  more,  were  preparing  to  return  to  the  city ;  and  such  a  Babel, 
in  the  varied  intonations  and  chatter,  the  laugh  and  the  wrangle, 
the  shout  and  the  jeer,  I  scarcely  recollect  to  have  heard ;  while  the 
oddity  of  the  packages  and  bundles,  the  trays  and  baskets,  borne 
on  their  heads,  the  endless  form  and  color  of  the  rags  and  tatters 
they  wore — their  old  hats  and  old  shoes,  presented  a  scene  gro- 
tesque beyond  description. 

Another  novel  scene  was  vast  numbers  of  the  lofty,  cumbrous, 
reed-sided  and  hide-roofed  carts  of  the  pampas,  arranged  in  a 
kind  of  camp  on  either  side  of  the  road.  They  are  "  the  ships 
of  the  desert "  here,  by  which  the  whole  produce  of  the  interior, 
for  hundreds  of  miles,  is  brought  to  the  market,  and  by  which 
the  returns  of  foreign  import  are  carried  to  the  remotest 
districts  of  the  Confederation.  They  constitute  the  only  habi- 
tations and  homes  of  their  owners  and  their  families :  bear 
with  them  all  the  household  furniture  and  worldly  goods  of 
these ;  and,  in  addition,  often  have  lashed  to  their  tops  or  under 
their  axles  the  trunk  and  branches  of  a  tree,  for  wood  with 
which  to  prepare,  whenever  a  halt  is  made,  the  indispensable 
mate,  or  native  tea.     Their  wheels  are  from  six  to   eight  feet 


CARTS   OF    THE    PAMPAS.  179 

in  diameter,  and  their  covered  tops  rise  fifteen  feet  from  the 
ground.  They  are  long  and  narrow,  of  most  heavy  and  clumsy 
construction,  with  tongues  of  rough-hewn  timber,  each  in  itself  a 
load  for  a  heast.  They  are  drawn  by  oxen,  attached  by  ropes  of 
hide,  in  any  number  of  pairs  requisite  for  the  draught.  As  means 
of  transportation,  they  correspond  well  in  their  massive  clumsiness 
and  ponderous  weight  with  the  elephant  of  India,  or  the  burden- 
bearing  camel  of  Egypt  and  Turkey  :  and  as  they  move  in  long 
lines  over  pampas  of  almost  unlimited  extent,  form  a  feature  not 
less  striking,  and  not  less  in  harmony  with  the  surrounding  scene, 
than  the  caravan  in  the  deserts  of  Arabia,  or  the  elephant  on  the 
plains  of  Bengal. 

February  24:th. — On  Washington's  birthday,  the  22d  inst., 
Mr.  Harris,  the  American  charg6  d'affaires,  gave  a  banquet  to 
Commodore  McKeever,  and  others  of  his  fellow  countrymen, 
visitors  and  residents  in  the  city.  The  evening  of  the  same  day 
had  been  appointed  for  the  reception  of  the  commodore  by  "  the 
governor,"  as  Rosas  is  here  styled.  A  government-house,  cover- 
ing the  area  of  half  a  square,  in  the  centre  of  the  city,  has  recently 
been  completed  by  the  chieftain.  It  encloses  quadrangle  after 
quadrangle  of  spacious  and  elegantly  furnished  apartments,  but  is 
visited  only  occasionally  by  him  for  a  few  brief  hours,  at  uncertain 
times.  His  chosen,  and,  indeed,  only  residence,  properly  so 
called,  is  the  palatial  quinta,  or  country-house  of  Palermo  de 
San  Benito,  situated  in  the  midst  of  an  extensive  domain,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Plata,  three  or  four  miles  west  of  the  city.  I  most 
readily  accepted  an  invitation  to  be  of  the  party,  glad  to  avail 
myself  of  the  opportunity  for  a  sight  of  the  tiger  in  his  den. 
Pardon  the  figure,  but  I  have  heard  so  much  of  his  bloody  ferocity 
in  subduing  the  people  to  his  abject  rule,  that  no  other  will  so 
well  express  my  sense  of  his  nature,  and  of  the  mysterious  and 
guarded  retirement  of  his  present  life :  an  unchained  monster, 
in  the  security  of  a  well-protected  lair.  The  prospect  of  the 
interview  revived  in  fresh  force  all  I  had  ever  heard  and  read 
of  his   atrocious  deeds;  and  the   anticipation  of  being   in   his 


180  BRAZIL   AND    LA   PLATA. 

presence,  was  not  without  the  superstitious  feeling  of  being  ex- 
posed by  it  to  the  hazard  of  the  "  evil  eye."  There  was  no  cer- 
tainty, however,  notwithstanding  the  appointment,  that  an  interview 
with  him  would  take  place.  He  is  so  arbitrary  and  so  capricious 
in  his  imperious  rule,  as  to  pay  little  regard  to  the  ordinary 
civilities  of  life ;  and  makes  not  only  his  own  ministers  and  people 
abide  his  whims  and  pleasure,  but  diplomatic  agents  and  foreign 
ambassadors  also,  are  often  obliged  to  dance  attendance  by  the 
hour  in  his  ante-rooms,  without  an  audience,  if  such  be  his  will. 
In  the  exercise  of  this  despotic  habit,  however,  one  redeeming, 
and — socially,  if  not  diplomatically — compensating  indulgence 
is  ever  granted  to  such  persons  :  the  presence  and  smiles,  the 
spirited  conversation  and  the  winning  grace  and  manner  of  his 
accomplished  daughter,  the  Doiia  Manuelita  de  Rosas.  Of  a  re- 
ception by  her  we  were  sure. 

We  set  off  at  a  sufficiently  early  hour  to  allow  time  for  a  view 
of  the  grounds  of  Palermo  before  nightfall ;  and  followed  the 

same  route  I  had  taken  with  Mr.  D .     At  the   distance  of  a 

mile  from  the  city,  after  having  crossed  the  common  along  the 
beach,  we  entered  a  broad  and  straight  macadamized  avenue, 
scientifically  constructed,  and  in  fine  order.  It  is  enclosed  on 
either  side  by  a  neat  iron  railing,  and  is  bordered  with  plantations 
of  willow,  and  furnished  with  handsome  lamp-posts  and  lamps  for 
the  night.  It  is  a  public  road,  constructed  by  Rosas :  com- 
mencing at  Palermo  and  to  be  extended  to  the  city,  and  is  still 
in  progress.  At  the  end  of  a  mile  and  a  half,  a  similar,  but 
more  beautiful  avenue  branches  from  this,  and  forms  the  private 
entrance  to  the  domain,  leading  directly  in  front  of  the  palace-like 
domicil  of  the  Dictator.  It  is  a  half  mile  in  length,  is  lined  with 
orange  trees  in  addition  to  the  willows;  and,  besides  these,  is 
separated  from  the  public  road  which  runs  parallel  with  it,  by  a 
broad  and  deep  canal  of  brick-work.  This  private  road  is  formed 
of  sea-shell,  and  is  as  white  and  hard  as  so  much  marble.  All 
dust  is  kept  down  by  the  sprinkling  of  water  ;  while  the  sward  on 
either  side,  dipt  with  the  care  of  an  English  lawn,  through  the 


QUINTA    OF   PALERMO.  181 

same  means  is  ever  in  living  freslmess.  The  orange  trees  are 
nurtured  with  great  care,  and  are  frequently  washed  with  brush 
and  soap-suds,  leaf  by  leaf,  by  persons  in  charge  of  them.  As 
we  passed,  numerous  peons,  in  the  gay  and  picturesque  dress  of 
the  country,  were  seen  engaged  in  this  process  on  a  kind  of  step 
ladder,  by  which  access  was  had  to  every  part  of  each  tree. 
Equal  care  is  taken  of  them  in  the  winter  season,  by  enclosing 
each  in  a  temporary  house,  to  guard  against  the  effect  of  frost. 
A  nearer  approach  brought  us  to  a  cantonment  of  soldiers,  con- 
sisting of  a  village  of  regularly  disposed  brick  huts,  of  uniform 
construction.  A  park  of  artillery  was  near  by,  and  clusters 
of  soldiers  in  scarlet  ponchos  and  petticoat-like  chirepas  were 
grouped  on  every  side.  These  multiplied  in  number  to  the  very 
doors  of  the  villa. 

The  first  impression,  as  we  drove  rapidly  through  this  im- 
agery, was  striking  and  peculiar  :  the  picture,  in  its  still  life,  was 
one  of  high  civilization  and  princely  expenditure  not  anticipated ; 
but  one,  strongly  marked  in  all  that  gave  animation  to  it,  with 
evidences  of  a  demi-savage  state.  But  for  these — the  Indian -like 
costume,  the  dark  and  wild  countenances,  and  the  savage  knives 
seen  sticking  in  the  belts  of  the  soldiers  and  peons — one  might 
almost  have  believed  himself  on  the  shores  of  the  Zuyder  Zee  : 
so  dead  is  the  level  of  the  ground ;  while  the  broad  and  deep 
canals  of  finished  workmanship,  the  artificial  lakelets,  aquatic 
plants  and  water-fowl,  the  gay  parterres  and  embanked  terraces, 
presented  imagery  answering  well  to  a  scene  in  Holland.  Every 
thing,  too,  was  in  straight  lines ;  roads,  canals,  plantations,  and 
the  villa  itself  This  is  a  parallelogram,  having  a  rectangular 
pavilion  projecting  from  each  angle.  It  stands  on  one  corner  of 
two  intersecting  avenues,  presenting  a  fagade  of  two  hundred  and 
sixty  feet  front  and  rear,  by  one  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  on 
either  side.  It  is  one  story  in  height,  and  the  architecture  through- 
out uniform.  A  wide  corridor,  supported  by  heavy  arches,  runs 
around  the  whole.  All  the  apartments  open  by  doors  and  French 
windows  upon  this,  as  well  as  upon  a  quadrangular  court  within. 


182  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

The  roof  is  flat,  and  is  surrounded  by  an  iron  balustrade,  ornamented 
at  regular  and  short  intervals  by  a  kind  of  demi-turret,  having  the 
effect  of  a  like  number  of  chimneys,  a  purpose  to  which  many  of  them 
are,  in  fact,  appropriated.  The  preparations  for  the  reception,  in 
a  guard  of  honor,  to  present  arms  as  the  commodore  should  alight, 
were  not  at  the  principal  front,  but  at  the  farthest  angle  of  the 
most  western  pavilion,  on  the  garden  front.  We  thus  passed 
two  sides  of  the  structure  before  being  set  down.  We  were  then 
conducted  through  a  spacious  saloon  of  state,  to  the  corridor  or 
arcade  on  the  east  end  of  the  building,  again  through  the  length 
of  this  to  the  extreme  eastern  pavilion  on  the  front,  past  which 
we  had  first  driven — thus  making  the  circuit  of  the  entire  estab- 
lishment, before  being  ushered  into  the  private  drawing-room  of 
Dona  Manuelita.  We  found  her  standing  here  with  two  female 
companions  in  waiting,  and  were  received  with  the  cordiality  and 
affability  of  long  acquaintance. 

This  daughter  of  "  the  governor  "  is  probably  the  most  re- 
markable woman  in  South  America  :  certainly  so,  as  the  imper- 
sonation of  a  government,  which  she  confessedly  is,  and  the  only 
visible  agent  of  its  influence  and  power.  Rosas  himself,  in 
his  official  position,  is  a  kind  of  invisible  personage — never,  on 
any  occasion,  or  under  any  circumstances,  making  his  appearance 
publicly.  It  is  said  there  are  thousands  of  people  in  Buenos 
Ayres  who  have  never  seen  him.  A  sight  of  him  may  often 
be  caught  in  his  grounds,  superintending  a  gang  of  workmen, 
or  perhaps  witnessing  the  punishment,  even  to  death,  of  a  soldier, 
or  some  victim  who  is  suffering,  justly  or  unjustly,  the  penalty 
of  the  law  or  of  his  displeasure.  He  may  be  seen,  too,  at  times, 
talking  and  jesting  with  the  fishermen  along  the  shore  of  the 
river  on  his  domain,  or  driving  Jehu-like,  in  the  dead  of  the 
night,  from  Palermo  to  the  city,  or  from  the  city  to  Palermo :  it 
being  his  habit,  from  motives  of  policy,  to  make  his  appearance 
suddenly,  at  an  hour,  and  under  circumstances  least  to  be  ex- 
pected ;  but  never  in  public,  in  his  appropriate  place  as  chief 
magistrate  and  head  of  the  people.     On  all  public  occasions,  and 


DONA   MANUELITA,  183 

in  all  public  places,  Manuelita  alone  appears  as  his  representa- 
tive ;  and  as  the  embodiment  of  his  will  and  the  channel  of  his 
favor,  receives  the  homage  of  sovereignty.  While  she  acts  no 
unimportant  part  in  the  negotiations  of  diplomacy  and  in  foreign 
affairs,  she  is,  virtually,  the  minister  both  of  the  "  Interior  "  and 
of  "  Justice  "  in  the  government,  tempering  with  mercy,  as  far  as 
in  her  power,  every  act  of  oppression,  and  diffusing,  in  name  at 
least,  a  semblance  of  benevolence  wherever  her  influence  reaches. 
Four  hours  of  each  morning  are  appropriated  by  her,  to  the 
receipt  of  petitions,  the  hearing  of  individual  grievances  and 
applications  for  redress.  For  this  object,  a  bureau  with  a  regular 
set  of  secretaries  is  established,  where  records  are  made  of  all 
cases  brought  before  her,  for  her  own  decision,  or  for  the  inter- 
vention of  her  influence  with  her  father.  As  may  be  rightly 
inferred  from  these  facts,  she  is  a  woman  of  talent  and  judgment, 
and  of  infinite  tact.  Her  age  is  thirty-five.  She  is  of  good 
height  and  fine  figure,  has  regular  and  good  features,  black  hair 
and  eyes,  with  a  beaming  and  benignant  expression,  and  in  com- 
plexion is  a  Spanish  brunette.  Her  manners  are  graceful  and 
winning,  her  conversation  animated  and  playful,  with  a  word 
of  complaisance  and  a  smile  of  kindness  to  all  who  approach,  and 
are  around  her.  Though  a  polished  and  elegant  woman,  she  affects 
nothing  of  the  stately  dignity  and  lofty  bearing  of  some  of  the 
aristocratic  and  high-bred  whom  I  have  seen — but  has  the  easy, 
self-possessed,  frank  and  cordial  air,  often  met  in  every-day  soci- 
ety. She  is  said  to  be  exceedingly  popular,  and  to  be  sincerely 
beloved  by  the  people :  as  well  she  may  be,  if  she  does,  indeed, 
exert  the  immense  influence  for  good,  which  is  reported  of,  and 
claimed  by  her  friends  for  her,  in  softening,  by  acts  of  clemency 
and  womanly  mercy,  the  iron  rule  of  her  father. 

Scarlet,  or  the  veritable  blood-tint,  is  the  prescribed  color  of 
the  government,  and  the  silent,  though  exacted  pledge  of  alle- 
giance to  the  chief  in  power.  Every  man  and  boy  under  his 
rule,  must  don  at  all  times  the  scarlet  waistcoat,  scarlet  hat- 
band, and  the  scarlet  breast-ribbon,  stamped  with  the  motto  of 


184  BRAZIL   AND   LA  PLATA. 

death  to  his  political  opponents.  Women  and  girls,  also,  of 
every  rank  and  all  ages,  must  exhibit  the  scarlet  ribbon  in  their 
hair  or  head-dress.  It  was  no  surprise,  therefore,  to  see  the 
Dona  and  her  ladies,  on  a  hot  evening  in  midsummer,  arrayed  in 
scarlet  silk  bareges  of  large  plaid,  over  under-dresses  of  white, 
with  the  scarlet  ribbon  and  its  savage  motto,  streaming  among 
the  tresses  of  their  black  hair.  The  predominating  hue  of  the 
reception  room — in  the  hangings  of  the  walls,  the  draperies  of 
the  windows,  and  the  carpet,  was  of  the  same  color.  This 
apartment  is  lofty  and  spacious.  A  grand  piano  and  harp  were 
conspicuous  among  its  furniture. 

The  usual  apology  was  made, — the  pressure  of  important  bu- 
siness— for  the  delay  in  the  appearance  of  the  governor,  with  the 
gracious  assurance,  however,  that  he  would  give  audience  to  the 
commodore  ;  and  it  was  proposed,  in  the  mean  time,  to  take  a  view 
of  the  grounds,  before  nightfall.  This  we  did,  under  the  guid- 
ance of  the  sprightly  and  accomplished  mistress  of  ceremonies 
and  her  ladies.  They  are  very  extensive,  in  a  perfection  of 
order,  and  in  many  respects  novel  and  striking ;  but  are  too  full 
of  straight  lines  for  beauty  and  artistic  effect.  The  whole 
domain  is  a  dead  level — a  swamp  redeemed  by  draining  and  em- 
bankments from  the  overflowings  of  the  river,  and  the  quagmires 
of  a  marsh.  The  sums  expended  in  transforming  it  into  a  para- 
dise, compared  with  every  thing  around,  are  beyond  all  estimate ; 
and  make  the  place,  at  least  in  the  outlay  of  money  and  labor, 
the  most  princely  estate  in  either  North  or  South  America. 
The  predominating  growth  in  trees  is  the  willow,  imparting 
to  the  whole  a  sombre  aspect ;  but  the  flower-gardens  and  shrub- 
beries are  brilliant  in  the  display  of  colors,  and  sweet  in  the 
variety  and  richness  of  their  perfume.  A  paved  court  extends 
along  the  arcades  around  the  whole  building.  On  the  two  sides 
communicating  with  the  lawns,  this  court  is  enclosed  by  par- 
terres of  choice  flowers,  elevated  three  or  four  feet  upon  walls, 
and  ornamented  at  regular  distances  by  classically  modelled  urns 


PLEASURE  GROUNDS  AT  PALERMO.        185 

and  vases,  also  crowned  and  festooned  with  floral  beauty.     The 
effect  of  both  is  ornamental  and  pretty. 

A  rustic  arbor  with  a  dome-shaped  top,  overrun  with  cluster- 
ing roses,  woodbine,  and  sweetbrier,  and  encircled  with  busts  in 
marble  on  pedestals,  and  one  or  two  full-length  figures  in  plaster, 
was  specially  commended  to  our  notice,  as  the  favorite  retreat  of 
Dona  Manuelita.  Not  far  from  it,  on  the  lawn,  is  a  humble 
whitewashed  cottage — the  first  domicil  of  Rosas  on  taking  pos- 
session of  the  estate.  It  is  scarcely  superior,  in  its  .  aspect  and 
accommodations,  to  the  rancho  of  a  common  peon  :  but  is  retained 
in  its  original  state  as  a  memento  of  the  past,  or  possibly  for  con- 
trast with  the  courtly  splendor  of  the  present  establishment. 

Some  years  ago,  an  American  brigantine,  at  anchor  in  the 
river,  was  driven  by  a  violent  storm  and  flood,  high  and  dry  into 
the  woods  of  Palermo.  Its  restoration  to  the  water  was  imprac- 
ticable. She  was  still  stanch  and  uninjured,  both  in  hull  and 
spars,  and  Rosas,  in  place  of  permitting  her  to  be  broken  up  for 
the  sale  of  the  material,  purchased  the  craft  with  the  purpose  of 
converting  her,  as  she  stood,  into  a  pavilion  of  pleasure.  Brought 
to  an  even  keel,  she  was  substantially  underpinned ;  and  thus 
firmly  mopred,  and,  remodelled  between  decks  into  a  dancing 
saloon  and  refreshment  rooms,  is  a  favorite  place  for  the  enter- 
tainment of  select  parties  in  summer.  It  is  situated  a  half  mile 
from  the  house,  and  our  walk  extended  to  it. 

As  we  returned  to  the  quinta,  the  shades  of  the  evening  were 
beginning  to  fall.  Two  of  the  pavilions  mentioned  as  being 
attached  to  the  angles  of  the  main  building — those  on  the  garden 
front — are  unenclosed  by  walls,  each  forming  an  open  saloon,  fur- 
nished with  ranges  of  crimson  sofas,  on  which  beneath  the  pro- 
tecting roof,  the  cool  of  the  evening  may  be  enjoyed  with  unin- 
terrupted views  on  every  side.  Into  the  most  retired  of  these 
we  were  now  conducted ;  and,  while  standing  in  a  group  in  the 
centre,  with  our  faces  directed  to  the  lawn  and  shrubbery,  I 
perceived  a  figure  stealthily  approaching  from  behind,  without  the 
warning  erven  of  a  footfall,  till  a  little  pliant  riding-whip  of 


186  BRAZIL   AND   LA    PLATA. 

polished  whalebone,  mounted  with  red  coral,  was  playfully  tapped 
on  the  bare  shoulder  of  the  Dona.  Turning  suddenly,  as  if  in 
surprise,  she  exclaimed  in  a  tone  of  pleasure  and  affection — 
"  Tatita !  "  a  diminutive  of  fondness  by  which  she  addresses  and 
speaks  of  her  father ;  and  following  her  example  in  a  change  of 
position,  we  found  ourselves  in  the  presence  of  the  far-famed 
Kuler.  Though  the  place  and  circumstances  of  our  presentation 
were  seemingly  thus  accidental,  both  doubtless  were  of  previous 
arrangement,  to  give  greater  informality  to  the  audience.  Rosas 
is  now  a  thick-set,  portly  man  of  sixty,  of  medium  height,  with 
finely  marked  and  well  chiselled  features,  and  of  florid  com- 
plexion. In  youth  and  middle  age  he  is  said  to  have  been  re- 
markably handsome.  The  feature  which  first  and  most  deeply 
arrested  my  attention  was  a  piercing,  restless,  fiery  eye  of  grayish 
blue.  Whether  from  previous  prejudice  or  not,  to  me  its  ex- 
pression seemed  singularly  devoid  of  ingenuousness  and  benignity 
— indeed,  to  be  positively  sinister  and  tiger-like.  His  dress  was 
a  round-jacket  of  dark  blue,  with  small  military  buttons ;  the 
inevitable  scarlet  waistcoat,  ribbon,  and  motto ;  and  an  undress 
military  cap,  with  the  visor  drawn  low  over  his  eyebrows.  His 
manner  and  address  were  common-place  and  familiar,  without  any 
mingling  of  the  dignity  of  the  Spanish  Hidalgo  in  high  posi- 
tion. 

After  an  interchange  of  salutations,  and  some  brief  conversa- 
tion on  indifferent  topics,  he  led  the  way,  with  Commodore 
McKeever  by  his  side,  through  the  long,  intervening  arcade  to 
the  drawing  room  in  the  front  pavilion,  in  which  we  had  first  been 
received.  Here,  seated  in  an  angle  of  the  lofty  apartment,  with 
the  leading  gentlemen  of  our  party  on  his  right,  and  his  daughter 
and  her  ladies  on  the  left,  he  at  once  took  the  lead  in  conversa- 
tion, running  loquaciously  from  subject  to  subject  of  trifling 
importance,  and  often  interlarding  his  statements  and  opinions 
with  low  anecdote  and  vulgar  details,  unfit  "  for  ears  polite,"  much 
less  for  the  hearing  of  women  of  delicacy  and  refinement. 


INTERVIEW   WITH    ROSAS.  187 

So  full  of  conversation  was  he,  and  seemingly  so  anxious  to 
please,  that  our  stay  was  prolonged  beyond  all  expectation ;  and 
we  were  disappointed  in  the  pleasure  of  an  evening  with  Mr.  and 

Mrs.  C ,  whose  country-seat  lies  between  Palermo  and  the 

city. 


L 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

BtTENOS  AteES. 

February  25th. — The  Argentine  confederation,  composed 
originally  of  thirteen  states,  joined  together  in  compact,  but  not 
by  constitution,  under  the  style  of  the  United  Provinces  of  La 
Plata,  has  become  practically  consolidated  and  merged  in  the 
State  of  Buenos  Ayres.  Being  the  only  province  possessed  of  a 
sea-port,  and  enjoying  an  extended  commerce,  she  was  en  charged 
by  the  others  with  the  management  of  the  foreign  relations  of 
the  confederacy.  This  naturally  made  her  the  controlling  power ; 
she  increased  while  the  rest  decreased.  The  result  was  a  division 
of  the  people  of  the  provinces  into  two  parties,  and  speedy  con- 
flict and  anarchy.  At  this  juncture  Rosas  raised  his  standard, 
and  subdued  the  whole  to  his  sway ;  and  though  nominally  only 
governor  of  the  city  and  province  of  Buenos  Ayres,  encharged 
with  the  sole  ministration  of  the  foreign  affairs  of  the  confedera- 
cy, he  is,  in  fact,  the  despotic  ruler  of  the  whole. 

He  is  the  most  remarkable  chieftain  in  South  America; 
possessing  all  the  elements  of  character  essential  to  the  successful 
despot:  firmness,  energy,  shrewdness,  subtlety,  unscrupulous 
purpose,  and  unfaltering  cruelty.  Sprung  from  a  Spanish  family 
of  respectability  in  Buenos  Ayres,  the  recklessness  of  his  early 
youth  led  to  his  removal  by  them  to  what  is  here  termed  the 
"  Camp  " — the  open  country  of  the  pampas,  over  which  are  scattered 


I 


EARLY    LIFE    OF    ROSAS.  189 

the  estancias,  or  estates  of  landed  proprietors,  for  the  raising  of 
cattle,  sheep,  and  horses.  Here,  among  the  gauchos,  or  demi- 
savage  peasants  of  the  interior,  he  was  made  an  overseer  by  a 
wealthy  relative  in  Buenos  Ayres.  Adopting  the  usages  and 
habits  of  savage  life  of  the  people,  he  became,  in  the  course  of 
years,  thoroughly  a  gaucho ;  and  distinguished  himself  by  the 
control  he  acquired  over  his  associates,  and  over  the  scarcely  more 
untamed  Indians  of  the  southern  territory.  He  excelled  in  all 
the  personal  qualities  and  feats  of  skill  most  prized  by  them,  and 
gained  their  unlimited  favor.  The  reputation  thus  established, 
first  called  the  attention  of  partisan  leaders  in  the  confederacy  to 
him ;  and  secured  for  him,  as  early  as  1820,  from  the  party  in  power 
the  appointment  of  colonel  of  the  militia  of  the  southern  frontier. 
In  this  position  he  gained  additional  reputation  and  new  popularity ; 
till,  fired  with  ambition,  he  began  in  1829  to  lay  the  foundations  for 
the  despotism  which  he  has  since  exercised.  Having  secured  the 
favor  of  the  good  among  the  people,  by  the  evidences  he  had 
given  of  a  power  to  win  the  confidence  and  to  control  the  will  of 
the  wild  men  around  him,  he  is  charged  with  the  determination 
of  gaining  that  of  the  evil,  by  making  his  camp  the  sanctuary  of 
every  class  of  criminals  ;  and  thus  surrounding  himself — with  the 
deliberate  purpose  of  making  the  use  of  them  he  afterwards  did — 
by  an  organized  band  of  assassins.  Whether  this  be  true  or  not,  it 
is  an  undoubted  fact  that,  after  being  placed  at  the  head  of  the 
government,  he  soon  put  an  end  to  all  hazard  of  rivalry  in  power, 
by  processes  of  bloodshed  and  assassination  through  such  minions 
of  his  favor,  almost  beyond  belief.  Volumes  might  be  written, 
as  volumes  already  have  been,  upon  the  tragedies  with  which,  from 
time  to  time  in  his  early  rule,  he  startled  and  terrified  the  com- 
munity, till  every  one  was  brought  to  the  subjection  of  abject 
fear  :  all  this,  too,  under  the  pretence  and  plausible  plea  of  sus- 
taining the  law  and  securing  public  quietude  and  order. 

The  justification  which  he  himself  pleads,  for  acts  of  cruelty 
which  are  admitted,  is  that  "  the  Argentines  can  only  be  governed 
with  the  knife  at  their  throats ;  "  and  the  highest  vindication  of 


190  BRAZIL   AND   LA  PLATA. 

his  character  which  I  have  heard  from  some  foreigners,  who  do 
not  believe  in  the  extent  of  the  atrocities  with  which  he  is  charged, 
and  are  disposed  even  to  admire  him  as  a  man  and  a  ruler,  is  that 
his  faults  are  to  be  attributed  to  the  defects  of  his  education  and 
his  habits  as  a  gaucho — that  he  is  but  a  type  of  the  people. 
This  may  be  true ;  but  what  is  the  state  and  character  of  the 
people — the  gauchos  of  whom  he  is  the  type  ?  The  best  descrip- 
tion I  have  seen  of  them,  is  in  a  pamphlet  by  the  Chevalier  de 
St.  Robert,  a  French  gentleman,  who  visited  the  Plata  officially. 
This  you  may  not  be  able  to  refer  to,  and  I  furnish  the  extract 
in  point. 

He  says :  "  There  is  nothing  to  be  found  in  the  Pampas — 
those  immense  plains  which  extend  over  a  space  of  more  than 
seven  hundred  leagues,  from  the  extreme  north  to  the  extreme 
south  of  the  Argentine  Confederation — but  estancias,  or  farms, 
scattered  here  and  there,  which  form  so  many  petty  republics, 
isolated  from  the  rest  of  the  world,  living  by  themselves,  and 
separated  from  each  other  by  the  desert.  Alone  in  the  midst  of 
those  over  whom  he  is  a  complete  master,  the  estanciero  is  out 
of  every  kind  of  society  whatsoever,  with  no  other  law  than  that 
of  force,  with  no  other  rules  to  guide  him  but  those  that  are 
self-imposed,  and  with  no  other  motive  to  influence  than  his  own 
caprice.  There  is  nothing  to  disturb  his  repose,  nothing  to  dis- 
pute his  power,  or  interfere  with  his  tranquillity,  except  the  tiger 
that  may  lurk  about  his  grounds,  or  the  wild  Indian  that  may 
occasionally  make  a  hostile  incursion  on  his  domains.  His  chil- 
dren and  his  domestics,  gauchos  like  himself,  pass  the  same  sort 
of  life ;  that  is  to  say,  without  ambition,  without  desires,  and 
without  any  species  of  agricultural  labor.  All  they  have  to  do 
is  to  mark  and  to  kill,  at  certain  periods,  the  herds  of  oxen  and 
flocks  of  sheep  which  constitute  the  fortune  of  the  estanciero,  and 
that  satisfy  the  wants  of  all.  Purely  carnivorous,  the  gaucho's 
only  food  consists  of  flesh  and  water — bread  and  spirituous  liquors 
are  as  much  unknown  to  him  as  the  simplest  elements  of  social 
life. 


LIFE   IN   THE   PAMPAS.  191 

"  In  a  country  in  which  the  only  wealth  of  the  inhabitants 
arises  from  the  incessant  destruction  of  innumerable  herds  and 
flocks,  it  can  easily  be  understood  how  their  sanguinary  occupa- 
tion must  tend  to  obliterate  every  sentiment  of  pity,  and  induce 
an  indifference  to  the  perpetration  of  acts  of  cruelty.  The  readi- 
ness to  shed  blood — a  ferocity  which  is  at  the  same  time  obdurate 
and  brutal — constitutes  the  prominent  feature  in  the  character 
of  the  pure  gaucho.  The  first  instrument  his  infantile  hand 
grasps  is  the  knife — the  first  things  that  attract  his  attention  as  a 
child,  are  the  pouring  out  of  blood  and  the  palpitating  flesh  of 
animals.  From  his  earliest  years,  as  soon  as  he  is  able  to  walk, 
he  is  taught  how  he  may  with  the  greatest  skill  approach  the 
living  beast,  hough  it,  and,  if  he  has  strength,  kill  it.  Such  are 
the  sports  of  his  childhood  :  he  pursues  them  ardently,  and  amid 
the  approving  smiles  of  his  family.  As  soon  as  he  acquires 
sufl&cient  strength,  he  takes  part  in  the  labors  of  the  estancia ; 
they  are  the  sole  arts  he  has  to  study,  and  he  concentrates  all  his 
intellectual  powers  in  mastering  them.  From  that  time  forth  he 
arms  himself  with  a  large  knife,  and  for  a  single  moment  of  his 
life  he  never  parts  with  it.  It  is  to  his  hand  an  additional  limb — 
he  makes  use  of  it  always,  in  all  cases,  in  every  circumstance,  and 
constantly  with  wonderful  skill  and  address.  The  same  knife  that 
in  the  morning  has  been  used  to  slaughter  a  bullock,  or  to  kill  a 
tiger,  aids  him  in  the  daytime  to  cut  his  dinner,  and  at  night  to 
carve  out  a  skin  tent,  or  else  to  repair  his  saddle,  or  to  mend  his 
mandoline. 

"  With  the  gaucho  the  knife  is  often  used  as  an  argument  in 
support  of  his  opinions.  In  the  midst  of  a  conversation,  appa- 
rently carried  on  in  amity,  the  formidable  knife  glitters  on  a 
sudden  in  the  hands  of  one  of  the  speakers,  the  ponchos  are  rolled 
around  the  left  arm,  and  a  conflict  commences.  Soon  deep  gashes 
are  seen  on  the  face,  the  blood  gushes  forth,  and,  not  unfrequently, 
one  of  the  combatants  falls  lifeless  to  the  earth;  but  no  one 
thinks  of  interfering  with  the  combat,  and  when  it  is  over,  the 
conversation  is  resumed  as  if  nothing  extraordinary  had  occurred. 


192  BEAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

No  person  is  disturbed  by  it — not  even  the  women,  who  remain 
as  cold,  unmoved  spectators  of  the  affray  !  It  may  easily  be 
surmised  what  sort  of  persons  they  must  be,  of  which  such  a 
scene  is  but  a  specimen  of  their  domestic  manners. 

"  Thus  the  savage  education  of  the  estancia  produces  in  the 
gaucho  a  complete  indifference  as  to  human  life,  by  familiarizing 
him  from  his  most  tender  years  to  the  contemplation  of  a  violent 
death,  whether  it  is  that  he  inflicts  it  on  another,  or  receives  it 
himself  He  lifts  his  knife  against  a  man  with  the  same  indiffer- 
ence that  he  strikes  down  a  bullock.  The  idea  which  everywhere 
else  attaches  to  the  crime  of  homicide  does  not  exist  in  his  mind ; 
for  in  slaying  another,  he  yields  not  less  to  habit  than  to  the 
impulse  of  his  wild  and  barbarous  nature.  If  perchance  a  murder 
of  this  kind  is  committed  so  close  to  a  town  that  there  is  reason 
to  apprehend  the  pursuit  of  justice,  every  one  is  eager  to  favor 
the  flight  of  the  guilty  person.  The  fleetest  horse  is  at  his 
service,  and  he  departs,  certain  to  find,  wherever  he  goes,  the  favor 
and  sympathy  of  all.  Then,  with  that  marvellous  instinct  which 
is  common  to  all  the  savage  races,  he  feels  no  hesitation  in  ventur- 
ing into  the  numerous  plains  of  the  pampas.  Alone,  in  the  midst 
of  a  boundless  desert,  and  in  which  the  eye  strains  itself  in  vain 
to  discover  a  boundary,  he  advances  without  the  slightest  feeling 
of  uneasiness  :  he  does  so  watching  the  course  of  the  stars,  listen- 
ing to  the  winds,  discovering  the  cause  of  the  slightest  noise  that 
reaches  his  ears,  and  at  length  arrives  at  the  place  he  sought, 
without  even  straying  from  it,  for  a  moment.  The  lasso  which  is 
rolled  around  his  horse's  neck ;  the  holas  suspended  from  his 
saddle,  and  the  inseparable  knife,  suffice  to  insure  him  food,  and 
to  secure  him  against  every  danger,  even  against  the  tiger, 
When  he  is  hungry,  he  selects  one  out  of  the  herds  of  beeves  that 
cover  the  plain,  pursues  it,  lassos  it,  kills  it,  cuts  out  of  it  a  piece 
of  flesh,  which  he  eats  raw,  or  possibly  cooks,  and  thus  refreshes 
himself  for  the  journey  of  the  following  day. 

"  If  murder  be  a  common  incident  in  the  life  of  a  gancho,  it 
often  also  becomes  the  means  to  him  of  emerging  from  obscurity, 


POLICE    OF    BUENOS    AYRES.  193 

and  of  obtaining  renown  among  his  associates.  When  he  has 
rendered  himself  remarkable  by  his  audacity  and  address  in  single 
combats,  companions  gather  round  him,  and  he  soon  finds  himself 
at  the  head  of  a  considerable  party.  He  '  commences  a  cam- 
paign,' sets  himself  in  open  defiance  of  the  laws,  and  in  a  short 
time  acquires  a  celebrity  which  rallies  a  crowd  about  him,  and 
makes  him  a  chieftain."  Such  are  the  people  of  whom  Kosas  is 
the  type,  and  such  the  processes,  in  a  qualified  degree  at  least, 
by  which  he  attained,  and  still  holds  his  supremacy. 

Are  you  not  afraid  of  your  life  even  in  Buenos  Ayres  ?  you 
will  be  ready  to  ask,  after  reading  such  a  description  of  the 
people  who  surround,  and  have  the  military  guardianship  of  the 
city.  I  reply,  that  there  probably  is  not  a  city  in  the  civilized 
world,  in  which  all,  not  suspected  of  political  or  partisan  offense, 
are  more  perfectly  secure  in  life,  limb,  and  property.  The  police 
is  perfect.  The  stranger  and  foreigner  especially,  may  move  about 
the  streets  at  any  hour  of  the  night,  with  perfect  impunity. 
Theft,  robbery,  and  burglary  are  unheard  of;  and  a  pocket-hand- 
kerchief or  purse  dropped  in  the  street,  if  bearing  any  mark 
which  indicates  its  owner,  will  be  sure  to  be  returned  to  him,  or 
quickly  be  found  in  the  keeping  of  the  police. 

February  'KSth. — The  impressions  made  by  Buenos  Ayres  in 
its  external  aspect,  are  increasingly  favorable.  The  plan  of 
the  town  is  rectangular,  like  that  of  Philadelphia.  Every  street  is 
of  the  same  width,  and  every  square  of  the  same  dimensions.  The 
streets  are  narrow,  just  wide  enough  for  two  vehicles  to  pass  each 
other,  and  the  sidewalks  comfortable  only  for  those  moving  in 
Indian  file.  In  walking  two  abreast,  or  arm  in  arm,  there  is  a 
constant  jostling  against  passers-by.  In  some  parts  of  the  town 
the  sidewalks  are  elevated  two  or  three  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
carriage-way.  The  city  being  a  dead  level,  and  the  streets 
straight,  long  vistas  in  them  are  every  where  commanded.  Some 
of  these  are  striking,  and  where  the  domes  and  fine  towers  of  the 
old  Spanish  churches  come  in  as  leading  features,  are  quite 
European.  These  stately  old  structures  are  scattered  about  in 
9 


194  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

Tarious  localities,  and,  with  the  citadel  on  the  highest  rise  of 
ground  overlooking  the  river,  are  the  chief,  if  not  the  only  sombre 
objects  in  the  architecture  of  the  place  :  still  retaining  the  natural 
color  of  the  brick  of  which  they  are  built,  or  exhibiting  time- 
stained  surfaces  of  stone  or  stucco,  and  roofs  coverjsd  with  moss, 
lichens,  and  grass.  Till  within  a  few  years,  the  houses  were  uni- 
formly one  story  only  in  height.  This  is  still  the  case  in  many 
quarters,  but  in  others,  successive  blocks  and  almost  entire  streets 
are  now  composed  of  those  of  two  stories.  The  general  plan  of 
all  is  the  same  :  the  Spanish,  or  rather  Moorish  quadrangle,  upon 
which  all  the  apartments  open,  with  a  cistern,  and  sometimes  a 
fountain  in  the  centre.  In  many  of  the  establishments  of  the 
wealthy,  there  are  a  succession  of  these  quadrangles.  Filled  with 
shrubbery  and  flowers,  and  often  ornamented  by  a  fountain,  the 
view  from  the  street  through  them,  terminating  not  unfrequently 
in  an  assimilating  scene  in  fresco  against  a  wall  in  the  far  per- 
spective, is  quite  impressive  in  stage  effect.  The  custom  of  con- 
stantly applying  fresh  whitewash  to  buildings  new  and  old,  gives 
to  the  whole  city  a  clean  and  bright  look.  Here  and  there, 
however,  in  almost  every  street,  a  quaint  and  antiquated  building 
is  seen,  contrasting  with  later  structures,  in  the  manner  of  the 
old  Dutch  houses  still  remaining,  a  few  years  ago,  in  New  York 
and  Albany,  with  those  of  modern  date.  These  are  a  single  story 
in  height,  with  slanting,  instead  of  flat  roofs,  covered  with  tile. 
Over  the  central  door,  however,  there  is  a  kind  of  demi-tower, 
furnished  with  a  window  and  projecting  balcony,  as  a  look-out  and 
place  of  parley  with  an  outsider  whose  motive  for  demanding 
admittance  might  be  questioned.  In  many  cases  these  look-outs 
are  quite  tasteful  in  their  architecture,  and  pleasing  to  the  eye 
from  the  air  they  bear  of  the  "  olden  time."  Lichens,  air- 
plants,  and  tufting  grass  clinging  to  the  cornices  and  mouldings 
and  ornamented  pinnacles,  give  to  them  a  venerable,  moustached, 
and  bearded  aspect,  that  cannot  fail  to  arrest  the  eye  of  the  lover 
of  the  antique. 

Great  improvements  have  been  made  of  late  years,  both  in  the 


DESCKIPTION    OF    THE    CITY.  195 

external  architecture  and  internal  arrangements  of  private  dwell- 
ings. Many  of  the  mansions  recently  erected  would  scarcely 
suffer,  in  point  of  richness  and  elegance,  by  comparison  with  some 
of  the  most  luxurious  of  the  Fifth  Avenue  in  New  York.     This 

is  especially  true  of  one  just  being  completed  by  Gren.  P ,  the 

minister  of  war  :  though  the  lofty  and  massive  entrance-gates,  in 
complicated  and  artistic  patterns  of  cast-iron  bronzed,  and  the 
colonnades  of  Moorish  arches  surrounding  its  quadrangular  courts 
within,  would  not  entirely  harmonize  with  the  prevailing  archi- 
tecture of  that  street  of  palaces. 

Every  house  here  is  necessarily  a  castle,  having  its  windows' 
on  the  street  barred  and  grated,  with  portals  not  easily  to  be 
forced,  and  parapets,  upon  the  flat  roof,  capable  of  effective  de- 
fence against  assailants  below.  Being  without  cellars  or  basement- 
rooms,  the  level  of  the  floors  is  elevated  but  little  above  that  of 
the  street,  and  as  no  railing  or  area  intervenes  between  the  side- 
walks and  the  large  windows,  which  descend  to  the  floors,  the  interior 
of  the  room  is  as  open  to  the  inspection  of  the  passers  by,  as  to 
the  inmates  themselves.  In  some  residences  of  wealth  and  taste, 
a  vista  of  room  after  room  in  long  suites,  richly  furnished,  is  thus 
exposed  to  view.  The  apartments  on  the  street,  with  scarcely  an 
exception,  are  reception  and  drawing-rooms ;  and,  in  the  after- 
noons and  evenings,  the  promenaders  in  the  street  are  thus  fur- 
nished with  a  succession  of  tableaux  vivans  of  females — not 
occupied  as  with  us  in  conversation,  or  reading,  or  fancy  work,  or 
other  employments  of  leisure  and  taste,  and  grouped  with  husbands, 
and  fathers,  and  brothers,  and  sons,  and  other  male  friends — 
but  seated  in  formal  rows,  or  in  a  semicircle  around  the  windows, 
in  a  greater  or  less  degree  of  '  full  dress,'  with  little  interchange 
of  conversation  among  themselves,  and  evidently  for  the  mere 
purpose  of  seeing  and  being  seen.  Every  thing  in  their  dress  and 
manner  shows  the  studied  purpose  of  exciting  admiration.  These 
exhibitions,  however,  are  only  in  hours  of  costume.  Till  late  in 
the  day  the  ladies  of  the  country  in  general  are  invisible ;  very 


196  BRAZIL  AND  LA  PLATA. 

mucli  in  undress,  lounging,  and  idling,  and  sipping  Paraguay  tea 
through  the  silver  tube  of  the  mate  cup. 

An  American  or  Englishman  cannot  fail  to  be  struck  with 
the  seemingly  slight  intercourse  of  the  male  and  female  members' 
of  a  family.  The  latter  are  to  all  external  appearance  without 
husbands,  fathers,  brothers,  or  sons.  You  meet  them  in  numbers 
in  the  morning,  going  to  and  returning  from  mass,  followed  by  a 
servant  or  servants,  but  seldom,  if  ever,  attended  by  a  male 
relative.  The  evening  is  a  favorite  time  for  shopping,  and  the 
streets  are  often  crowded  in  some  sections,  with  ladies  thus  en- 
>gaged,  but  unattended  by  a  gentleman  in  escort.  And  in  the 
hundreds  of  parlors  and  drawing-rooms  into  which  I  have  looked 
in  passing,  I  do  not  recollect  ever  to  have  seen  a  gentleman,  old 
or  young,  in  the  groupings  of  a  family  circle. 

A  week  being  the  extent  of  the  leave  of  absence  which  I  feel 
willing  to  take  from  my  charge  on  board  ship,  and  from  the  volun- 
tary duty  I  have  assumed  at  the  chapel  in  Montevideo ;  with  the 
purpose  of  returning  to  the  Congress  to-morrow,  I  gave  therefore 
the  mornings  of  yesterday  and  to-day  to  calls  in  acknowledgment 
of  the  civilities  from  our  fellow-countrymen,  and  various  foreign 
residents,  in  which,  as  one  of  Commodore  McKeever's  party,  I 
have  shared.  In  the  course  of  these,  I  accompanied  the  Com- 
modore and  Mr.  G — : —  in  a  visit  to  the  Conde  de  Bessi, 
bishop  of  a  diocese  of  unpronounceable  name  and  unknown 
region,  and  nuncio  from  the  Pope  to  Kosas.  The  disregard 
which  Rosas  has  shown  in  ecclesiastical  matters  for  the  supremacy 
of  the  Pope,  and  the  sacrilege,  in  the  view  of  the  Romish  Church, 
of  some  of  his  acts,  led  long  ago  to  his  excommunication,  and  the 
withdrawal  by  the  Papal  States  from  all  diplomatic  intercourse 
with  him.  The  Conde  de  Bessi  has  recently  arrived,  with  over- 
tures of  reconciliation.  Though  every  civility  has  been  paid  to 
him  in  his  official  character,  by  the  government,  and  a  house  ele- 
gantly fitted  and  furnished  been  appropriated  to  his  use,  with 
other  marks  of  courtesy — carriages  and  horses  at  his  service — he 
has  not  yet  been  admitted  to  an  audience,  and,  it  is  believed,  will 


NUNCIO    OF    THE   POPE.  197 

not  be.  The  preliminary  to  negotiation  wliicli  the  nuncio  de- 
mands— the  release  of  the  clergy  from  the  obligation  of  wearing 
the  red  ribbon,  stamped  with  the  motto  of  death  to  the  political 
opponents  of  the  dictator,  which  they  are  forced  to  do,  even 
while  officiating  at  the  altar — is  one  that  will  not  be  accorded ; 
and  unless  the  legate  yields  on  this  point,  he  will  fail  in  his 
mission. 

Our  visit  being  announced,  we  were  ushered  into  the  cabinet 
of  his  excellency — first  through  a  large  and  elegantly  furnished 
saloon,  and  then  through  a  smaller  apartment,  fitted  as  a  chapel 
with  all  the  appliances  of  Romish  worship.  The  reception  of 
our  party  by  the  count  was  most  courteous,  and  the  conversation 
in  French  which  ensued,  animated,  and  on  his  part,  most  compli- 
mentary to  the  United  States,  as  to  her  prosperity  and  her  power. 
He  appears  to  be  about  forty  years  of  age ;  is  very  plump  and 
healthful,  with  little  that  is  ascetic  in  look  or  manner.  He  is  very 
handsome,  with  a  face  as  fresh  and  smooth  and  round  as  that  of 
a  female,  and  an  expression  beaming  with  benignity  and  high 
breeding.  His  voice  and  intonation  are  of  the  most  silvery 
softness,  and  his  whole  manner  as  feminine  and  polished  as  that 
of  a  duchess.  Indeed,  so  remarkably  was  this  the  case,  that  as 
I  looked  at  him  in  his  silken  robe  of  purple  reaching  to  the  heels, 
and  with  a  cap  of  velvet  on  his  head,  of  corresponding  color,  I 
found  it  difficult  to  disabuse  myself  of  the  impression  that  the 
interview  was  with  one  of  the  fair  sex. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

MoirrBViDEO. 

May  30^/^. — Scarcely  any  duty  in  naval  service  can  be 
more  destitute  of  interest,  than  such  as  the  Congress  is  perform- 
ing off  Montevideo  at  the  present  time.  To  the  close  invest- 
ment of  the  city  by  land,  a  practical  blockade  is  added,  from  a 
decree  of  Rosas,  by  which  every  vessel  touching  here  on  her  way 
up  the  Plata  is  denied  entry  at  Buenos  Ayres.  The  consequence 
is — there  being  little  demand  for  imports  and  nothing  to  export 
at  Montevideo — that  no  vessel  in  the  trade  of  the  Plata  comes 
into  the  port  except  from  necessity,  and  the  arrivals  are  limited, 
for  the  most  part,  to  a  man-of-war,  occasionally,  and  the  regular 
mail-steamer  from  England,  by  the  way  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  once 
each  month.  My  chaplaincy  on  board,  and  the  additional  service 
of  worship  each  Sabbath  on  shore,  furnish  the  only  variation  in 
my  duty ;  and  an  occasional  row  or  sail  to  the  city  for  a  walk  or 
the  visit  of  an  hour,  in  a  limited  circle  of  acquaintance,  my  only 
recreation.  For  opportunities  of  visiting  the  shore  I  am  indebted 
chiefly  to  the  kindness  of  Commodore  McKeever :  Captain 
Mcintosh,  so  frequently  the  companion  of  my  walks  at  Rio,  here 
scarcely  ever  leaves  the  ship. 

The  recent  arrival  in  which  we  were  most  interested  was  that 

of  the  U.  S.  storeship  Southampton.    It  brought  Dr.  C to  the 

Congress  as  fleet  surgeon,  in  place  of  Dr.  W ,  who  returned 


THE    POOR    OF    MONTEVIDEO.  199 

home  invalided,  shortly  after  our  arrival  on  the  station.  This 
loss  to  the  medical  corps  of  the  ship  and  to  our  mess  was  regretted. 
In  the  substitute  furnished,  we  are  greatly  favored.  As  a  physician 
and  surgeon  Dr.  C is  worthy  of  all  confidence  ;  and  as  a  gen- 
tleman and  Christian,  carries  with  him  predominating  influence. 
The  value  of  such  an  accession  to  a  naval  mess-table  and  to  the 
associations  of  the  gun-room  of  a  man-of-war,  can  scarcely  be 
over-estimated. 

Another  circumstance  connected  with  the  Southampton,  in 
which  we  felt  great  interest,  proved  less  happy  in  the  issue.  The 
Congress,  through  a  mistake  not  discovered  till  she  was  at  sea, 
left  the  United  States  without  a  suitable  library  for  the  use  of 
the  crew.  As  soon  as  this  was  known,  I  took  measures  to  have 
one  sent  after  us.  This  was  shipped  by  the  Southampton  and 
arrived  safely  here ;  but  from  an  oversight  of  the  officer  in 
charge,  was  carried  again  to  sea  by  her,  on  proceeding  to  her  des- 
tination in  the  Pacific.  The  disappointment  to  the  crew  is  great, 
and  only  to  be  remedied  by  patiently  waiting  for  the  return  of 
a  fresh  order  to  the  United  States. 

My  visits  on  shore  are  most  unvarying  in  their  character. 
Sometimes  I  take  a  solitary  stroll  through  the  less  public  streets 
of  the  city;  but  never  without  feelings  of  commiseration  for 
the  depressed  and  suffering  condition  of  the  poorer  classes.  The 
pale  and  haggard  faces  of  the  females,  seen  at  the  doors  and  win- 
dows, tell  one  story  of  privation  and  want — of  listless  despondency 
and  gloom.  The  extent  and  degree  of  destitution,  from  the  long 
suspension  of  all  business,  is  fearful,  among  those  even  who  have 
been  accustomed  to  independence,  if  not  to  afiiuence  and  luxury. 
Among  such,  the  poorest  scraps  that  fall  from  the  tables  of  the 
more  fortunate  are  most  thankfully  received ;  and  any  kind  of  em- 
ployment is  eagerly  sought.  Females  of  the  first  respectability  are 
glad  to  be  employed  in  making  up  linen  in  a  most  finished  style, 
at  a  half  dollar  a  shirt,  and  at  six  and  eight  cents  a  collar.  The 
demoralization  among  all  classes,  in  consequence  of  the  pressure 


200  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

of  want,  is  very  great,  I  am  told,  and  of  a  cliaracter  fatal  to  the 
purity  and  self-respect  of  individuals  and  whole  families. 

The  only  semblance  of  general  cheerfulness  observable,  is  in 
the  daily  evening  promenade  to  witness  the  relief  of  guard. 
This  takes  place  at  the  inner  lines  without  the  walls,  every  even- 
ing at  sunset.  During  the  previous  hour,  in  fine  weather,  hun- 
dreds of  the  better  classes  of  the  citizens  both  foreigners  and 
natives,  in  a  greater  or  less  display  of  dress,  may  be  seen  issuing 
through  the  ancient  gateway  of  the  northern  wall,  for  the  walk 
of  a  mile  through  the  broad  and  straight  street,  leading  from  it 
to  a  battery  where  the  relief  of  guard  takes  place,  and  to  listen 
to  the  music  of  the  bands  with  which  this  is  accompanied. 

I  have  mentioned  the  presence  here  of  fifteen  hundred  or  two 
thousand  French  troops  with  their  officers.  They  are  quartered 
in  barracks,  a  part  within  and  a  part  without  the  walls  of  the  old 
city ;  and  may  be  seen  in  groups  and  small  parties  in  the  streets 
at  almost  all  times  of  the  day  and  evening.  Well  dressed  and 
well  fed,  young  and  athletic,  fresh  and  healthful  in  look,  and 
cheerful  and  animated  in  movement  and  manner,  they  constitute 
quite  a  redeeming  feature  in  the  aspect  of  the  city.  They  have 
a  parade-ground  just  without  the  walls,  and  are  regularly  and 
severely  drilled,  but  take  no  part  in  the  military  duty  of  the 
place,  and  perform  no  patrol.  This  devolves  exclusively  upon  the 
Montevidean  soldiery.  These,  amounting  to  three  thousand,  con- 
sist chiefly  of  a  foreign  legion,  composed  of  emigrants — Italians 
from  the  vicinity  of  Genoa,  and  from  Piedmont,  and  Basques 
from  the  frontiers  of  Spain  and  France ;  and  of  a  negro  regiment 
under  the  command  of  native  officers.  The  negroes,  till  the  com- 
mencement of  the  war  were  slaves ;  but  were  then  liberated  by  a 
decree  of  the  government,  without  compensation  to  their  masters, 
on  condition  of  entering  the  army  for  the  continuance  of  the  war, 
with  a  right  to  a  bounty  of  land  on  the  restoration  of  peace. 

The  foreign  legion  form  the  municipal  or  national  guard.  They 
consist  of  artisans,  porters,  laborers  and  boatmen,  who,  in  succes- 
sive companies  are  on  duty  as  a  patrol  one  day  in  three,  and  en- 


DRESS   OF   THE   GAUCHOS.  201 

gaged  in  their  various  callings  the  rest  of  the  time.  The  negroes 
are  regular  soldiers.  They  are  said  to  be  brave  and  faithful, 
and  have  proved  themselves  most  reliable  on  post  and  in  battle. 
The  dress  of  the  foreigners  is  that  of  their  every-day  labor — 
the  jacket  and  trowsers  and  Pelasgic  cap  of  the  Basques ;  but  the 
negro  regiment  are  in  uniform — the  dress  of  the  gauchos,  or 
Indio-Spaniards,  of  the  country.  This  is  striking  and  pictur- 
esque, though  Indian-like  and  savage  in  its  general  effect :  at  best 
barbarism,  '  picked  out,' — as  carriage  painters  say — with  civiliza- 
tion. It  is  composed  of  a  red  flannel  shirt,  beneath  a  poncho  of 
red  of  the  same  material,  lined  with  green ;  a  green  cheripa,  or 
swaddling  blanket  for  the  loins  and  lower  limbs ;  drawers  of 
white  cotton  terminating  in  wide  pantalets  ornamented  with  in- 
sertings  of  lace  work,  and  a  deep  fringe  falling  over  the  ankles 
and  bare  feet :  the  covering  of  the  head  being  a  conical  cap  of 
green  cloth,  without  visor,  laced  with  yellow  cord.  It  is  seen  to 
the  Tbest  effect  at  Buenos  Ayres,  where  there  is  in  the  soldiers 
more  of  the  Indian  and  less  of  African  blood ;  and  where, 
exhibited  on  horseback,  the  long  black  hair  and  streaming  pon- 
chos of  the  riders  are  in  keeping  with  the  flowing  manes  and 
tails  of  the  horses,  as  they  scamper  with  the  fleetness  of  the  wind 
along  the  beach  and  over  the  plain. 

The  free  hospitality  of  two  or  three  houses,  both  English  and 
American,  in  addition  to  the  Consulate,  is  extended  to  us ;  and 
usually,  after  the  relief  of  guard,  we  join  the  family  of  one  or 
another  of  these  for  tea.  It  is  pleasant  in  a  strange  land  thus 
to  be  received  informally  in  a  home  circle,  and  to  be  made  wel- 
come, in  this,  the  winter  of  the  year,  to  the  elegant  comforts  of 
carpeted  floors  and  curtained  windows — of  the  glowing  grate  of 
the  fireside,  and  the  hissing  urn  of  the  tea-table,  and  for  the  hour 
to  share  in  the  social  enjoyments  of  conversation  and  music.  The 
chief  drawback  to  the  pleasure,  is  the  remembrance  forced  upon 
us  by  such  scenes,  of  our  distant  homes,  and  the  vision  in  fancy  of 
what  we  there  lose.    This  was  particularly  the  case  in  the  visits  of 

the  last  evening.     I  made  an  early  call  at  Mr.  L 's,  and,  on 

9* 


202  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

entering  the  drawing-room,  found  Madame   L at  the  piano. 

After  giving  tlie  accustomed  kind  welcome,  she  was  prevailed 
upon  to  continue  at  the  instrument.  Though  the  mother  of  a 
fine  family  of  carefully  educated  and  intelligent  children — gath- 
ered at  the  time  in  various  amusements  round  a  centre-table  of 
the  saloon — she  has  not  thrown  aside  her  music,  but  is  still  in 
good  practice.  Her  touch  and  execution  are  very  much  in  the 
style  of  Mademoiselle  R— — ,  and  in  some  fine  passages  from 
Verdi  and  other  masters,  brilliantly  given,  carried  me  at  once  to 
Riverside. 

I  do  not  recollect  to  have    mentioned   the  romance  of  the 

honey-moon  of  Mr.  and  Madame  L at  Buenos  Ayres,  in  the 

early  days  of  the  despotism  of  Rosas.  Madame  L ,  previ- 
ously the  Signorita ,  a  native  of  the  city,  and  member  of  the 

Romish  church,  ventured  to  be  married  to   Mr.  L by  an 

American  missionary,  without  the  consent  of  the  Dictator.  This 
was  contrary  to  an  existing  law ;  and  the  consequence  was  that  the 
bride  was  very  unceremoniously  immured  for  three  months  in  a 
nunnery,  while  the  groom  and  clergyman  were  as  summarily  ar- 
rested, and  thrown  into  prison.     Mr.  L was  then  established 

in  mercantile  business  at  Buenos  Ayres.  But  indignant  at  such 
an  interference  with  the  rights  of  conscience  and  personal  freedom, 
on  regaining  his  liberty,  he  withdrew  with  his  wife  to  Montevideo, 
and  is  now  a  chief  capitalist  in  this  section  of  South  America. 

On  joining  the  Commodore  at  Mrs.  Z 's,  L  found  quite  a 

party  of  the  H 's  and  other  friends.     The  ladies  were  in 

more  dress  than  usual ;  the  rooms  were  well  lighted ;  and  the 
tea-table  richly  and  elegantly  appointed ;  and  in  the  enjoyments 
of  an  evening  of  music,  both  vocal  and  instrumental,  including 
some  fine  chants  and  psalmody,  we  were  tempted  for  the  time  to 
forget  our  exile. 

The  private  dwellings  in  Montevideo,  whether  only  one,  or 
two  stories  high,  are  all  built  in  the  Spanish-Morescan  style, 
having  a  quadrangle  within,  enclosing  a  pateo,  or  open  square  in 
the  centre.     Upon  this,  where  there  is  but  one  story,  and  upon  an 


PAMPEROS  AT  MONTEVIDEO.  203 

encircling  verandah  or  corridor,  above  where  there  are  two,  all 
the  apartments  open,  through  doors  and  French  windows.  The 
pateos  in  the  one  case,  and  the  verandahs  in  the  other,  are  usually 
filled  with  running  vines,  and  flowering  plants  and  shrubs,  in  boxes 
of  earth,  or  in  urns  and  vases.  The  parapeted  walls  of  the  flat 
roofs  are  also  often  ornamented  by  vases,  containing  aloes  and 
various  cacti ;  and  I  have  often  been  struck,  on  passing  to  the 
staircase  in  leaving,  with  the  ornamental  and  picturesque  effect 
of  these — especially  in  bright  moonlight — as  they  stand  out  in 
strong  relief  against  the  sky. 

However  good  the  promise  of  fair  weather  may  have  been  in 
going  on  shore,  we  never  take  leave  for  a  return  to  the  ship  at 
night,  without  a  greater  or  less  degree  of  uncertainty,  as  to  the 
manner  and  circumstances  in  which  we  may  get  on  board.  The 
shallowness  of  the  roadstead  obliges  vessels  of  the  draught  of 
the  Congress  to  lie  two  or  three  miles  from  the  shore ;  and  even 
then,  such  are  often  cradled  at  low  water  in  a  bed  of  mud  three 
or  four  feet  deep  ;  but  the  distance  is  a  trifle,  compared  with  the 
obstacle  to  a  visit  to  the  shore,  either  for  exercise  or  pleasure, 
arising  from  the  frequency  and  suddenness  of  the  south  and 
south-west  winds,  called  pamperos.  These  often  burst  over  the 
water  with  little  or  no  warning,  and  by  their  fierceness  and  the  sea 
they  raise,  cut  ofi",  for  twenty-four  hours  or  more,  all  communica- 
tion between  the  ship  and  the  shore.  Twice  within  the  first  week 
of  our  arrival,  a  party  in  the  Commodore's  barge  was  detained  a 
night  and  a  day  on  shore  under  such  circumstances ;  and  other 
boats  sent  on  shore  on  various  objects  of  duty,  at  least  as  many 
times.  Fortunately  for  some  of  us,  Mr.  Frazier,  of  the  American 
house  of  Frazier,  Zimmerman  &  Co.,  being  without  other  family 
than  the  employees  of  the  counting-room,  had  it  in  his  power  to 
off"er  some  of  us,  on  those  occasions,  an  asylum  in  the  well-ap- 
pointed residence  in  which  he  dispenses  a  liberal  and  generous 
hospitality.  The  few  hotels  in  the  place,  kept  principally  by 
Frenchmen  and  Italians,  are  comfortless,  especially  in  their 
accommodations  for  sleeping. 


204  BRAZIL   AND   LA  PLATA. 

A  few  nights  ago,  on  reacliing  the  mole,  a  high  and  piercing 
wind  was  blowing,  very  much  from  the  point  we  wished  to  steer, 
tumbling  a  rough  and  wild  sea  before  it.  We  could  not  lay 
our  course  for  the  ship  within  several  points  :  leaving  a  long  and 
heavy  pull  for  the  oarsmen,  after  we  should  take  in  sail.  Close 
hauled  upon  the  wind,  and  plunging  into  the  head  sea,  all  hands 
were  well  showered,  even  as  far  aft  as  the  stern-sheets,  by  the 
spray  dashed  from  the  bows.  In  disgust  at  this  winding  up  of 
the  pleasures  of  the  evening,  the  Commodore  exclaimed  that  it 
would  be  "  the  last  of  his  night  expeditions  from  the  shore ;  " 
that  hereafter  he  would  limit  his  visits  to  the  daytime,  and  then 
to  fine  weather.  However,  the  barge  is  a  beautiful  sea-boat, 
riding  the  swelling  waves — whether  propelled  by  oars  or  canvas 
— like  a  duck,  and  under  sail,  skimming  the  crested  waters  like 
a  sea-bird.  When  obliged  at  last  to  take  to  the  oars,  the  pull  to 
the  ship  was  not  so  long,  or  the  trouble  in  getting  on  board  on  the 
lee-side  so  great,  as  we  had  apprehended.  The  next  morning 
the  weather  was  tranquil  as  a  summer's  day ;  and  the  Commodore, 
beckoning  me  to  join  him  on  the  poop  as  he  was  taking  a  turn 

before  breakfast,  said,   "  Why,   Mr.   S ,  the  getting  off  last 

night  was  not  so  bad  after  all.  I  must  take  back  my  hard 
speeches  about  the  place  and  weather,  and  recall  my  rash  vows. 
I  think  we  may  still  venture  an  evening's  visit."  This  we  soon 
did,  and  our  return  on  board,  for  that  and  two  or  three  succes- 
sive nights,  was  the  very  perfection  of  every  thing  lovely  in 
moonlight  upon  the  water.  The  air  was  mild  and  balmy ;  the 
river,  smooth  and  glassy  as  a  lake,  seemed  beneath  the  moon- 
beams, a  very  sea  of  silver  ;  a  fair  and  gentle  land-breeze  kept 
the  sails  of  the  boat  just  steadily  full — ^wafting  us  imperceptibly 
along,  while  every  thing  above,  beneath,  and  around  us,  was  so 
tranquil^  so  bright,  and  so  pure,  that  we  were  charmed  by  it  into  a 
musing  mood  of  the  profoundest  silence. 

The  prevailing  weather,  at  present,  is  like  that  of  the  finest 
October  at  home,  with  which  season — that  of  autumn — it  corre- 


DISEASES   OF   THE   CLIMATE.  205 

Spends.  The  mornings  are  cool,  bracing,  and  brilliant ;  at  noon, 
the  temperature  is  almost  hot,  and  the  nights  are  humid  and  cold. 
The  sunsets  are  equal,  in  the  beauty  and  softness  of  the  tintings 
and  colors,  to  any  I  recollect  to  have  observed  in  any  part  of  the 
world.  To  judge  from  the  apparent  purity  and  elasticity  of  the 
atmosphere,  it  would  seem  that  the  climate  could  not  be  other- 
wise than  healthful ;  yet  the  sick  list  on  board  the  Congress,  from 
catarrhs,  inflammation  of  the  lungs,  and  rheumatism,  is  greater 
than  at  any  time  since  the  beginning  of  our  cruise.  Some 
of  the  cases  of  pneumonia  are  very  severe,  and  threaten  to  prove 
fatal.  This  increase  of  sickness  and  its  character,  are  attribut- 
able, probably,  to  the  frequent  recurrence,  amidst  all  this  bright- 
ness, of  wintry  storms  of  two  or  three  days'  continuance :  like  a 
cold  and  boisterous  equinoctial  gale  in  the  United  States,  with 
pouring  rain  and  piping  winds.  Indeed,  the  anchorage  here  is  a 
terrible  place  for  winds  at  all  seasons  of  the  year  :  terrible,  not 
from  danger  to  the  ships — for  the  whole  bottom  is  a  soft  and 
tenacious  mud,  into  which  large  vessels  safely  cradle — but  in  the 
discomfort  on  board  in  a  storm,  and  the  inconvenience  of  com- 
municating with  the  shore. 

The  special  interruptions  to  the  monotony  of  a  daily  routine 
on  my  own  part,  have  been  a  series  of  infant  baptisms,  in  the 
families  of  various  foreign  residents,  English,  Scotch,  and  Ger- 
man ;  three  marriages  in  which  the  grooms  were  foreigners  also — 
American  and  English ;  and  the  funeral  of  an  American  lady, 
long  a  resident  of  Montevideo.  The  groom  at  one  of  the  wed- 
dings was  Dr.   K of  the  navy,  surgeon  of  the  St.  Louis ; 

his  bride,  the  Signorita  L ,  daughter  of  Don  Juan  L , 

Secretary  to  the  Senate  of  the  Republic  of  Uruguay.  The  cere- 
mony was  private.  Commodore  McKeever,  the  captain  of  the  St. 
Louis,  one  or  two  other  naval  officers,  Madame  L ,  the  god- 
mother of  the  bride,  and  the  immediate  members  of  the  family 
constituting  the  party.  Another  of  the  marriages  was  in  the  pre- 
sence of  a  large  company,  and  was  followed  by  a  general  reception 
of   the  society  of  Montevideo,  and  a  ball.      The  parties  being 


206  BRAZIL   AND    LA   PLATA. 

English,  the  presence  of  the  representative  of  the  British  govern- 
ment was  necessary,  to  give  validity  to  the  rite,  according  to  act 
of  parliament;  and  the  ceremony  was  followed  by  the  making 
out  of  a  certificate,  at  a  centre-table  of  the  drawing-room,  on  a 
folio  sheet  of  paper,  to  which,  as  first  witness,  the  Hon.  Mr.  Grore, 
H.  M.  Charge  d'  Affaires,  attached  his  name  officially.  Nearly 
the  whole  company,  both  ladies  and  gentlemen,  gave  witness  to  the 
event  in  a  similar  manner,  so  that,  in  the  end,  the  document,  in 
its  length  of  signatures,  rivalled  a  Magna  Charta  or  Declaration 
of  Independence.  It  was  the  first  occasion,  except  at  the  chapel, 
in  which  I  had  met  so  large  a  company  of  Montevideans,  or  in 
which  there  was  a  mingling  of  the  native  Americo-Spanish  society. 
The  ladies  of  this  blood  have  been  celebrated  by  travellers  for 
their  beauty,  and  for  sprightliness  and  grace  of  manner ;  and 
justly,  I  would  say,  were  I  to  judge  in  the  matter,  from  one  at 

least,  of  those  present  on  this  occasion :  Mrs.  R -,  the  wife  of 

a  young,  but  retired  captain  in  the  British  navy,  a  son  of  Admiral 

Sir  J II .     She  is  beautiful,  and  apparently  truly  lovely, 

with  more  of  the  bearing  and  manners  of  polished  life  than  most 
other  ladies  I  have  met  since  I  left  the  United  States.  Others 
equally  favored  may  have  joined  the  party  afterwards,  but  of  this 
I  cannot  speak.  The  general  company  were  only  beginning  to 
arrive,  as,  under  the  guidance  of  Mr.  Gore,  I  left  for  the  British 
Consulate,  to  officiate  in  the  baptism  of  a  child,  which  had  been 
appointed  for  the  same  evening. 

The  first  funeral  I  have  been  called  to  attend,  was  at  the 
house  in  which  I  performed  the  first  marriage  ceremony  after  our 
arrival.  The  mother  of  the  young  and  lovely  bride,  an  American 
lady,  was,  at  the  time,  in  so  feeble  a  state  from  consumption,  as 
scarce  to  be  able  to  be  present.  She  has  failed  rapidly  since,  and 
was  buried  on  the  16th. 

During  the  years  of  prosperity  in  Montevideo,  a  Protestant 
burial-ground  was  laid  out,  a  half  mile  beyond  the  outer  gate, 
along  the  edge  of  a  narrow  ravine  and  watercourse.  It  was 
enclosed  by  a  handsome  wall  of  brick,  planted  with  trees  and 


PROTESTANT    CEMETERY.  207 

shrubbery,  contained  many  tombstones  and  monuments  of  marble, 
and  was  one  of  the  most  attractive  spots  in  the  suburbs.  It  was 
found,  however,  on  the  commencement  of  hostilities,  that  the 
walls  and  trees  gave  shelter  to  the  assailants,  in  their  approaches 
to  the  city,  and  interfered  with  the  effect  of  the  batteries  of  the 
besieged.  The  walls  consequently  were  razed,  and  the  trees  cut 
down  by  the  inside  party.  The  result  is  an  entire  ruin.  The 
tombs  and  monuments  are  mostly  overturned  and  destroyed,  and 
the  place,  though  still  appropriated  to  its  original  use,  is  utterly 
desecrated.  Scarce  a  stone  is  standing,  and  not  a  vestige  of 
ornament  or  beauty  remains.  I  could  not  avoid  being  struck, 
amid  other  objects  in  the  scene — at  the  funeral,  with  the  appear- 
ance of  the  hearse — the  best  the  city  now  affords,  and  emblematic 
of  all  its  attempts  at  display.  Its  curtains  of  velvet,  once  doubt- 
less black,  are  now  faded  to  a  muddy  orange,  and  are  all  tattered 
and  torn ;  and  what  were,  originally,  plumes  of  ostrich  feathers, 
nodding  gracefully  at  each  corner,  are  now  only  bristling  quills, 
from  which  every  feather  has  fallen  in  decay.  It  was  drawn  by 
two  miserable,  starved  mules  in  a  wretched  harness,  and  altogether 
was  a  mockery  of  the  pomp  and  pageantry  of  the  grave. 

The  subject  reminds  me  to  mention  the  receipt  by  the  last 
English  mail,  of  a  letter  from  the  family  of  Eamsey,  in  whose 
fate  you  express  an  interest,  from  the  account  given  of  his  sudden 
death,  last  October.  It  is  in  answer  to  one  by  which  I  communi- 
cated the  bereavement.  He  was  of  a  pious  household,  who 
were  deeply  afflicted  by  the  intelligence  sent,  but  consoled  by  the 
assurance,  that  every  possible  attention  had  been  paid  to  him. 
The  letter  is  from  a  young  man,  the  only  surviving  son  of  the 
family.  He  says,  "  It  is  impossible  to  attempt  a  description  of 
the  scene  exhibited,  as  I  endeavored  to  read  aloud  the  heart- 
rending account  of  the  death  of  one  we  loved  so  dearly.  It  can 
never  be  forgotten  by  any  one  present.  The  whole  family  were 
overwhelmed,  and  I  myself  entirely  unmanned ; "  and  adds  in 
another  part — "  the  night  after  we  received  the  melancholy 
tidings,  a  most  touching  incident  occurred  :  caused  by  my  youngest 


208  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

sister  Jessie,  a  child  of  six  years,  when  preparing  to  retire  to 
rest.  She  had  not  been  told  the  sad  news,  and  while  on  her 
knees  by  my  mother's  side  praying  aloud,  her  little  hands  resting 
upon  her  lap,  she  prayed,  as  was  her  custom,  that  Grod  would  keep 
and  bless  her  dear  brother  at  sea,  and  bring  him  in  safety  home 
to  us.  The  scene  that  ensued  was  most  aflflicting ;  we  all  wept 
most  bitterly,  while  the  little  one  cried  as  if  her  heart  would 
break,  when  told  that  the  poor  brother,  for  whom  she  prayed, 
was  lost  to  her  for  ever  in  this  world. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

Island  of  St.  Catherine. 

June  lih. — The  tedium  of  tKe  long  stay  of  the  Congress  at 
Montevideo  was  relieved  once,  by  a  cruise  of  three  weeks  off 
the  Plata.  The  chief  object  in  this,  was  to  exercise  the  crew  at 
the  sails  and  in  working  ship,  and  to  give  practice  at  sea  with  the 
great  guns  and  small  arms.  The  effect  of  the  change  was  good, 
both  morally  and  physically.  The  vicinity  of  a  port,  so  free  to 
dissipation  as  Montevideo,  is  demoralizing  both  to  ofl&cers  and 
men ;  and  it  is  well,  as  Commodore  McKeever  remarked  to  me 
in  speaking  on  the  subject,  occasionally  at  least  to  put  the  broad 
sea  between  the  ship  and  the  seductions  of  the  shore. 

.  On  the  22d  ult.  we  again  set  sail  for  this  place.  The  island 
lies  closely  on  the  coast  about  midway  between  the  Plata  and 
Rio  de  Janeiro.  It  is  twenty-eight  miles  long,  from  four  to 
eight  wide,  and  is  separated  from  the  main  by  a  narrow  and 
irregular  strait,  varying  in  breadth  from  one  and  two,  to  three  and 
more  miles.  It  was  settled  earlier  than  any  part  of  the  conti- 
nent in  this  section,  and  gives  name  to  the  province  on  the  main 
opposite,  within  whose  boundaries  it  is  included.  Its  harbor  is 
one  of  the  best  in  the  Empire,  and  was  once  a  great  resort  for 
shipping,  especially  for  refreshment  and  repairs  by  those  engaged 
in  the  whale  fishery.  The  principal  town,  called  Nossa  Senhora 
do  Desterro,  or  "  Our  Lady  of  Banishment  or  Exile,"  contain- 


210  BRAZIL    AND    LA    PLATA. 

ing  a  population  of  eight  or  ten  thousand  inhabitants,  is  the  cap- 
ital of  the  province  and  the  residence  of  its  President. 

On  the  morning  of  the  2d  inst.,  the  island,  overtopped  by  the 
loftier  mountains  of  the  main,  was  in  view  at  a  distance  of  thirty 
miles ;  and  coasting  along  it  we  entered  the  straits  and  came  to 
anchor  by  nightfall.  The  land  is  broken  and  lofty,  and  beauti- 
fully verdant :  the  eastern  shores  next  the  sea  presenting,  as  we 
sailed  along  them,  alternate  stretches  of  white  sand  beach  and 
projecting  promontories  of  rocks  crowned  with  woods.  There  is 
not  a  sufficient  depth  of  water  for  a  frigate  to  pass  through  the 
channel,  and  the  entrance  for  large  ships  is  by  the  north  end  of 
the  island.  It  is  winding,  and  with  the  mountains  of  the  island 
and  the  main  on  either  side,  presents  the  features  of  a  magnifi- 
cent harbor  rather  than  the  appearance  of  an  arm  of  the  sea. 
We  were  delighted  with  the  varied  outlines  and  general  beauty 
of  the  whole,  in  contrast  with  the  scenery  of  the  Plata,  though 
but  few  evidences  of  civilization  are  visible ;  a  small  habitation 
here  and  there  along  the  shore,  being  the  only  indications  of  the 
presence  of  man. 

The  next  morning  the  whole  surface  of  the  water,  glassy  as  a 
mirror,  was  dotted  two  or  three  miles  south  of  us  with  the  canoes 
of  fishermen ;  their  white  hats,  shirts,  and  drawers  contrasting 
strongly  in  the  early  sun  with  the  black  sides  of  their  canoes. 
We  were  some  miles  from  the  customary  anchorage,  and  the  pres- 
ence of  so  large  a  ship  as  the  Congress  even,  attracted  no  atten- 
tion from  them,  and  brought  no  canoe  with  the  milk  and  eggs  and 
tropical  fruits  for  which  we  were  longing.  Soon  after  breakfast 
we  ran  some  miles  further  south  to  our  present  anchorage  just 
inside  of  two  forts,  one — that  of  San  Jose — on  the  island,  and  the 
other — that  of  Santa  Cruz — on  an  islet  of  the  same  name  near 
the  main.  The  panorama  surrounding  us  is  truly  beautiful — 
approaching,  in  some  respects,  even  that  of  Rio  de  Janeiro, 
though  less  wild  and  sublime  in  outline.  The  lofty  and  massive 
mountains  on  the  main,  jutting  down  to  the  water  in  bold  pro- 
montories, indent  the  shore  with  little  white-beached  coves  whose 


SCENERY  AT  SANTA  CRUZ.  211 

overhanging  cliffs  are  crested  with  palm-trees  and  festooned  with 
creepers.  The  white  dwellings  of  the  inhabitants,  sprinkled 
along  the  shore,  and  the  checkered  cultivation  of  the  uplands 
behind,  combine  in  furnishing  attractive  imagery  to  the  eye  and 
associations  of  rural  comfort  and  simplicity  to  the  heart.  The 
symmetrical  outlines  of  the  old  fortresses  on  either  side,  and  their 
moss-covered  and  grass-tufted  parapets  and  ramparts,  give  an  air 
of  antiquity  to  some  points  of  the  scene,  while  the  primitive 
canoe  of  the  aborigines,  under  paddle  or  rude  sail  on  the  water, 
tells  us  significantly  of  a  state  of  semi-civilization  only.  With  the 
brightly  gleaming  sun  of  the  morning,  there  was  a  freshness  and 
elasticity  of  atmosphere,  welcome  and  most  exhilarating. 

The  present  acting  American  consul  of  St.  Catherine  resides 
at  Santa  Cruz,  the  name  of  the  anchorage  at  which  we  are.  His 
name  is  Cathcart,  formerly  the  master  of  an  American  whale- 
ship,  but  now  long  a  resident  of  this  part  of  Brazil,  where  he 
married  a  native  of  the  country,  and  has  a  family  of  children, 
and  extensive  possessions  in  lands  and  slaves. 

His.  residence  is  nearly  abreast  of  us  on  the  main,  a  mile  or 
more  distant.  It  is  situated  on  an  elevated  platform  above  the 
beach,  in  a  beautiful  little  cove,  with  a  glen  in  the  rear  :  the 
whole  overhung  by  a  wooded  mountain.  I  availed  myself  of  the 
first  opportunity  of  visiting  the  shore,  and  accompanied  Purser 

W and  Lieut.  R who  went  on  duty.     Mr.  Cathcart  was 

on  the  beach  to  receive  us  and  conduct  us  to  his  house.  With 
the  exception  of  this  structure — which  is  of  stone,  stuccoed,  and 
whitewashed,  and  roofed  with  tile — every  thing  here,  in  general 
aspect,  is  so  like  the  South  Seas,  that  I  felt  as  if  suddenly  trans- 
ported there,  and  again  amidst  the  scenes  and  places  so  familiar 
and  so  dear  to  me  twenty  years  ago.  The  palm-tree,  tossing  its 
plumed  branches  in  the  wind,  the  broad  leaves  of  the  banana 
rustling  in  the  breeze,  the  perfume  of  the  orange  blossoms  and 
cape  jessamine,  the  sugar  cane  and  coffee  plant,  the  cotton  bush, 
the  palma  christi  and  guava — the  light  canoe  upon  the  water, 
and  the  rude  huts  dotting  the  shore — all  hurried  me  in  imagi- 


212  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

nation  to  the  Marquesas,  the  Society  and  the  Sandwich  Isl- 
ands. 

As  the  Consul  proposed  returning  to  the  ship  with  us  our  stay 
was  but  short.  I,  however,  accomplished  my  purpose  of  a  ram- 
ble for  half  an  hour.  This  I  found  quite  sufficient  for  the  time. 
The  hills  descend  so  abruptly  at  all  points  to  the  water,  and  are 
so  furrowed  with  ravines,  that  one  can  proceed  scarcely  a  hundred 
rods  in  any  direction  along  the  shore,  without  making  ascents 
and  descents  of  such  steepness,  as  soon  to  induce  fatigue,  and 
make  a  short  walk  go  far  in  point  of  exercise. 

Large  ships  cannot  approach  nearer  to  the  port  and  city  of 
Desterro  than  the  anchorage  of  Santa  Cruz ;  a  distance  of  twelve 
miles.  The  day  after  our  arrival,  a  party  of  officers  made  a 
trip  to  that  place  in  one  of  the  ship's  boats ;  and  on  the  4th  inst. 
I  joined  another,  by  a  similar  conveyance.  The  morning  was  bril- 
liant, with  a  cool  and  bracing  air.  There  was  no  wind,  but  with 
ten  stout  and  willing  oarsmen  we  made  good  progress,  though  the 
tide,  for  a  portion  of  the  distance,  was  against  us.  Two  beautiful 
wooded  islets  lie  midway  in  the  straits,  or  bay,  as  the  water — twelve 
miles  in  length  and  from  three  to  five  in  width — appears  here  to 
be.  The  largest  of  these  has  a  battery  planted  on  the  north  end, 
the  site  of  which  is  scarped  from  the  solid  rock,  about  half  the 
height  from  the  water  line  to  the  summit  of  the  islet.  With  the 
exception  of  this  battery,  and  two  or  three  buildings  connected 
with  it,  the  whole  is  one  mass  of  foliage  interspersed  with  boulders 
of  granite.  We  rowed  closely  along  its  western  side,  and  were 
charmed  with  the  freshness  of  the  verdure  and  the  variety  and 
richness  of  its  growth ;  especially  in  the  drapery  and  festooning 
of  parasites  and  creepers.  As  we  approached  our  destination  we 
fancied  a  striking  resemblance,  in  the  formation  and  general  as- 
pect of  the  western  side  on  the  mainland,  to  the  section  of  the 
Hudson  lying  between  Tarrytown  and  the  entrance  to  the  High- 
lands. This  led  to  a  comparison  of  the  scenery  of  the  straits  in 
general  with  that  of  the  Hudson.     Beautiful  indeed  as  this  St. 


CITY   OF    DESTERRO.  213 

Catherine  is,  all  who  had  seen  both,  admitted  a  close  rivalry  at 
least  on  the  part  of  the  other. 

A  promontory  of  the  island  projecting  far  eastward  into  the 
straits,  cuts  off  the  view  of  the  town  from  the  north — excepting 
a  church  tower  or  two  over  the  land — and  gives  to  the  water  the 
appearance  of  being  land-locked.  It  is  not  till  sweeping  through 
a  narrow  channel  past  the  bluff  point,  you  find  yourself  in  a 
horse-shoe  bay, — a  half  mile  perhaps  in  diameter,  with  the  city 
encircling  its  sandy  beach. 

The  view  of  the  town  is  striking,  as,  on  doubling  the  point,  it 
opens  thus  abruptly  to  the  sight.  It  contains  eight  thousand  in- 
habitants. It  is  prettily  situated  on  the  widely  curving  shore, 
and,  facing  the  straits  southward,  is  flanked  on  the  east  by  lofty, 
verdant,  and  overhanging  hills.  A  double-towered  church,  ris- 
ing from  the  centre  of  the  city,  and  a  spacious  snow-white  hospital, 
crowning  a  terrace  on  the  eastern  side,  are  the  most  conspicuous 
of  the  public  buildings. 

A  small  platform  of  plank  on  piles,  forms  the  landing  for  the 
boats  of  the  shipping ;  but  the  canoes  of  the  country  are  gener- 
ally run  upon  the  beach.  There  was  a  cleanliness  about  this,  and 
in  the  market-place  adjoining,  trtily  welcome  in  Brazil,  and  pre- 
pared us  to  be  most  pleasantly  impressed  with  the  general  aspect 
of  a  spacious,  unenclosed  square — like  the  green,  or  common  of 
a  New  England  village — upon  which  we  immediately  entered. 
This  lies  close  by  the  water  and  in  the  middle  of  the  town.  The 
principal  church  or  cathedral,  whose  towers  we  had  seen  over  the 
land,  ornaments  it  on  the  north  side.  It  stands  upon  a  terrace  plat- 
form, having  circular  enclosures  on  either  side,  filled  with  plants 
and  shrubbery,  and  overtopped  by  two  or  three  graceful  palms, 
and  an  Australian  pine.  On  the  west  side  near  this,  is  the  palace 
or  Governmental  House,  occupied  by  the  President  of  the  pro- 
vince ;  the  dwellings  of  two  or  three  wealthy  citizens ;  and  a 
hotel  near  the  water.  From  the  balconies  of  the  last,  the  party, 
who  had  preceded  us  the  day  before,  were  beckoning  to  us  a  wel- 
come.    The  establishment  is  in  charge  of  an  American  from  New 


214  BKAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

England,  married  to  a  native  of  the  place.  It  is  more  homelike 
in  general  appearance  and  better  kept  than  any  public-house 
we  have  seen  in  South  America,  excepting  the  Hotel  de  Provence 
in  Buenos  Ayres. 

As  it  was  my  purpose  to  return  to  the  Congress  the  same 
evening,  there  was  little  time  to  search  for  objects  of  special 
interest,  if  indeed  there  were  such ;  and  I  contented  myself  with 
a  walk  through  and  around  the  place.  The  streets  are  laid  out 
with  regularity,  but  are  ungraded  and  pass  over  hill  and  through 
hollow,  according  to  the  original  surface  of  the  ground.  The 
buildings  stand  upon  them  at  irregular  distances  from  each  other ; 
and  many  having  gardens  and  yards  about  them,  the  whole  has 
a  village-like  aspect,  not  indicative  of  the  amount  of  population  em- 
braced within  the  boundaries  of  the  town.  The  people  seem  kind 
and  well  disposed ;  are  simple  in  their  habits  and  courteous  in  man- 
ners. Though  my  dress  furnished  no  badge  of  naval  service,  or 
distinctive  mark  of  my  profession,  yet,  recognized  as  a  stranger,  I 
was  every  where  saluted  as  such  with  the  greatest  deference  and 
respect.  I  had  been  told  that  a  new  cemetery,  situated  on  a  hill 
on  the  western  side  of  the  bay,  commanded  a  fine  general  view  of 
the  city  and  surrounding  country.  Under  the  impression  that  I  had 
reached  this,  I  passed  through  a  fine  gateway,  and  by  a  flight  of  steps 
to  a  terrace  walk,  but  at  once  perceived  that  I  was  in  the  grounds 
of  a  private  residence,  and  was  retreating  to  the  road  again,  when  in- 
vited by  some  attendants  near  to  enter  and  stroll  over  the  place  at 
my  pleasure.  This  I  did.  It  was  tastefully  laid  out  in  lawns  and 
flower  gardens,  and  abounded  in  fruit.  On  expressing  thanks  to 
the  Portuguese  gardener  when  taking  leave,  he  added  to  my  ob- 
ligation by  presenting  a  choice  bouquet,  with  an  ofi'er  of  oranges 
and  other  fruit  ad  libitum ;  adding,  that  the  signer,  his  master, 
would  have  been  happy  to  receive  me  had  he  been  at  home,  and 
would  be  pleased  at  any  time  with  a  visit  from  me. 

The  day  was  exceedingly  fine,  and  my  ramble  of  an  hour  and 
more  in  the  suburbs,  over  smooth  paths  and  through  hedge-shaded 
and  flower-scented  lanes,  was  most  grateful  after  the  dreary  mo- 


ARTIFICIAL    FLOWERS   AT    DESTERRO.  215 

notony  of  the  scenery  in  the  Plata  and  the  tedium  of  long  confine- 
ment on  hoard  a  ship. 

The  females  of  Desterro  are  celebrated  for  their  skill  in  the 
manufacture  of  artificial  flowers  from  feathers,  beetle  wings,  fish 
scales,  and  sea  shells ;  and  an  arrival  of  strangers  in  the  place 
causes  the  doors,  and  halls,  and  rooms  of  the  hotel  to  be  thronged 
with  negroes  and  negresses,  bearing  tray-loads  and  boxes  of  these 
articles  for  sale.  Many  of  them  are  tasteful  and  ornamental ; 
especially  those  formed  from  the  polished  wings  of  the  beetle. 
Those  of  fish-scales  wrought  into  necklaces,  armlets,  wreaths  and 
bouquets  are  also  pretty;  and,  were  the  material  not  known,  would 
appear  costly.  The  first  of  these  I  ever  saw  were  worn  by  a 
bride  at  Montevideo ;  the  effect  by  candle-light  was  much  that  of  a 
set  of  pearls,  which  I  at  first  supposed  the  ornaments  to  be.  A 
coarse  but  serviceable  thread  lace,  is  also  a  manufacture  of  the 
place.  The  chief  article  of  commerce  is  coffee,  that  of  St.  Cath- 
erine being  of  superior  quality. 

At  3  o'clock  we  sat  down  to  a  profusely  spread  table  d'hote, 
one  of  the  most  tempting  public  boards  I  have  seen  since  leaving 
the  United  States,  consisting  of  a  variety  of  fish,  oysters,  lobster, 
different  kinds  of  meats,  chickens,  turkey  and  birds,  cooked  and 
served  in  American  style.  The  bread  was  excellent,  and  upon  it 
alone,  with  the  delicious  fresh  butter  from  the  Gi-erman  settlement 
of  San  Pedro  d'Alcantara,  twenty  miles  distant  in  the  mountains 
on  the  main,  I  could  have  made  a  most  satisfactory  repast.  The 
interest  of  the  feast  was  enhanced  by  some  intelligence  communi- 
cated in  regard  to-  the  chief  attendants  on  the  table :  the  head 
waitress  was  no  less  a  personage  than  a  Princess  Eoyal  of  Cab- 
inda,  eldest  daughter  of  the  monarch  of  that  style,  and  niece  of 
"  King  John,"  chief  of  the  Kroomen.  She  is  a  fine  intelligent- 
looking  woman  of  thirty  years,  whose  mien  and  general  bear- 
ing were  by  no  means  unbecoming  the  rank  she  held. in  her  native 
land.  Another  of  the  servants  was  a  male  slave  of  the  same  age, 
full  of  activity  and  spirit,  and  seemingly  very  cheerful  and  happy. 
By  industry  and  economy,  and  the  gratuities  he  has  received,  for 


216  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

civility  and  fidelity  in  his  situation,  he  has  laid  up  the  amount  of 
his  purchase-money,  with  the  exception  of  a  small  sum.  He 
expects  soon  to  be  free ;  and,  having  caught  a  spirit  of  adven- 
ture and  enterprise  from  the  many  of  our  compatriots,  who  of 
late  years  have  touched  at  St.  Catherine's  for  refreshment  on  their 
way  to  California,  designs  pushing  his  fortunes  in  that  golden  re- 
gion— an  example  of  adventure,  in  purpose  at  least,  almost  without 
parallel,  I  am  told,  among  the  Brazilians  of  Portuguese  blood. 
While  the  whole  world  has  been  excited  to  enterprise  by  the 
modern  discoveries  of  gold,  not  a  vessel,  I  learn,  has  been  fitted 
out  from  Brazil  in  quest  of  fortune  in  this  way,  and  scarcely  a 
Brazilian  tempted  to  join  the  thousands  who  have  touched  here 
and  at  Rio  on  their  way  to  California. 

The  next  day  I  joined  Commodore  McKeever  and  his  secre- 
tary in  a  stroll  on  shore  at  Santa  Cruz.  Captain  Cathcart  met 
us  on  the  beach,  and,  becoming  our  cicerone,  first  led  us  up  a 
romantic  little  glen  in  the  rear  of  his  dwelling,  by  a  well  kept 
pathway  overshaded  with  orange  trees  and  palms,  and  bordered 
by  coffee-plants  and  bananas.  It  followed  the  course  of  a  mur- 
muring and  babbling  mountain  stream,  which  fretted  its  way  over 
a  bed  of  rocks,  and  beneath  and  around  massive  boulders  of  gran- 
ite. The  pathway  itself  was  sufficiently  attractive  to  have  in- 
duced us  to  take  the  walk,  but  there  was,  as  we  found,  a  special 
object  for  pursuing  it.  It  leads  to  the  graves  of  two  sisters  of 
the  ages  of  fifteen  and  seventeen,  daughters  of  Major  Graines, 
Governor  of  Oregon,  who  died  here  a  year  ago  on  their  way  to 
that  territory,  after  a  few  days'  illness  witlT  yellow  fever,  con- 
tracted during  a  brief  stay  at  Rio.  Their  sudden  death,  within 
a  day  of  each  other,  in  the  opening  bloom  of  youth,  and  their 
burial  by  the  wayside,  as  it  were,  in  a  strange  and  undesired 
land,  with  the  many  affecting  incidents  related  to  us  connected 
with  the  event,  threw  a  touching  interest  around  the  spot,  and 
caused  us  to  linger  with  deep  sympathy  near  their  graves.  They 
lie  side  by  side  within  a  small,  picketed  enclosure,  where  the  rose 
and  willow  and  other  appropriate  growth,  planted  by  the  hand  of 


WALKS   AT    SANTA    CRUZ.  217 

the  Consul,  are  already  spreading  in  tropical  luxuriance.  They 
are  said  to  have  been  intelligent  and  accomplished,  and  full  of 
the  buoyancy  and  hope  of  young  life.  The  bereavement  under 
the  circumstances  must  have  been  desolating  to  the  parents,  and 
their  burial  on  these  strange  shores  a  most  affective  trial. 

After  the  examination  of  a  mandioca  and  coffee  plantation, 
and  of  a  fruit  yard,  we  strolled  over  a  spur  of  the  mountain  to 
an  adjoining  cove  in  which  Captain  Cathcart  formerly  resided, 
and  which  is  still  his  possession.  His  former  dwelling  is  con- 
verted into  a  school-house  for  his  own  children  and  those  of  two 
or  three  of  his  neighbors.  The  tutor,  a  young  Brazilian,  is  em- 
ployed by  the  Consul  at  his  individual  expense.  The  books  and 
school  apparatus  were  most  primitive,  and  limited  to  the  merest 
elements  of  instruction ;  still,  the  scene  presented  by  the  assem- 
bled group  of  scholars  and  their  young  teacher,  had  more  of  pro- 
mise in  it  for  the  future,  than  any  thing  before  met  in  this  region. 

I  spent  yesterday  morning  in  going  over  the  same  ground 
with  Captain  Mcintosh,  who  had  not  previously  been  on  shore. 
We  extended  our  walk  across  two  or  three  additional  ridges  of  the 
hills,  which  feather  down  from  the  mountains  to  the  water,  and 
break  up  the  shore,  by  their  projecting  points,  into  numerous  little 
coves  encircled  by  interval  lands  and  bright  glades.  In  these 
chiefly  are  nestled  the  humble  cottages  of  the  poor,  in  single  dwell- 
ings or  in  hamlets  of  three  and  four.  The  views  from  the  sidte- 
hills  above  are  varied  and  beautiful,  and  ever  bring  with  them  to 
me  strong  associations  of  the  South  Seas. 

In  the  afternoon,  accompanied  by  Dr.  C and  one  or  two 

others,  I  took  a  walk  northward  from  the  consulate,  first  across  a 
natural  meadow  running  inland  a  half-mile  from  the  beach,  and  after- 
wards, by  a  mule-path,  over  a  steep  and  thickly-wooded  hill  of  the 
primitive  growth — the  whole  mountain  of  which  this  is  a  spur,  dense- 
ly covered  with  wood,  presenting  in  many  points  masses  of  foliage 
of  great  richness  and  beauty.  Our  walk  terminated  at  a  clear- 
ing, where  preparations  were  making  for  the  erection  of  a  shanty 
of  small  timber,  wattled  at  the  sides  and  ends,  preparatory  to 
10 


218  BRAZIL   AND  LA  PLATA. 

being  filled  in  with  clay.  The  scene  reminded  me  of  parts  of 
Otsego  near  Cooperstown  in  my  boyhood^  where  the  felling,  and 
logging,  and  burning  of  trees  by  the  first  settlers  were  in  progress. 
The  timber  here,  however,  is  by  no  means  so  tall  and  heavy  as 
the  white  pine  and  old  hemlock  of  that  region,  and  appears  to  be 
exclusively  of  hard  wood.  "We  saw,  at  too  great  a  distance  to 
admit  of  examination,  two  flowering  trees  with  blossoms  of  most 
brilliant  hues;  and  were  afterwards  shown  at  the  consulate  a 
branch  of  an  azalia,  loaded  with  flowers  of  the  purest  white  varie- 
gated with  bright  cherry  color. 

I  must  not  omit  to  mention  the  very  unexpected  recognition 
of  each  other,  by  Captain  Cathcart  and  myself  yesterday.     After 

taking  leave  of  him  the  evening  before,  I  said  to  Dr.  C , 

"  The  oftener  I  see  the  Consul,  the  more  I  am  persuaded  I  have 
met  him  before :  it  must  have  been  at  the  Sandwich  Islands." 
A  similar  impression  it  seems  was  on  his  mind;  and  he  remarked 
to  a  party  of  officers,  as  the  boat  in  which  I  was,  shoved  off",  "  I 

am  sure  I  have  known  Mr.  S somewhere ;  but  I  have  not 

been  out  of  Brazil  for  twenty  years — it  must  have  been  when  I 
was  whaling."     To  this,  one  replied,  "  it  may  have  been  at  the 

Sandwich  Islands,  when  Mr.  S —  was  a  missionary  there."    "  A 

missionary  !  is  it  possible  that  this  Mr.  S is  the  same  :  now, 

I  know  all  about  him.  I  remember  him  well ;  the  first  time  I 
was  on  shore  he  invited  me  to  church,  and  though  I  was  an  en- 
tire stranger  to  him,  only  a  boat-steerer,  he  took  me  afterwards  to 
dine  with  him  and  his  lady."  This  being  repeated  to  me,  gave 
identity  to  my  own  reminiscence,  and  led  to  a  very  cordial  greet- 
ing the  next  morning  as  old  friends. ' 

My  last  walk,  in  this  short  visit  of  a  week,  was  taken  this 
afternoon,   in   company   with  Commodore   McKeever   and   Dr. 

C .     It  was  on  the  island.     We  landed  at  one  end  of  a  long 

curving  beach,  beneath  the  rocky  bluff  which  is  surmounted  by  the 
dilapidated  fortress  of  San  Jos6,  now  dismantled  and  abandoned. 
After  enjoying  the  view  from  its  parapets,  we  followed  a  path 
leading  up  the  ridge  of  the  hill,  till  we  gained  a  lofty  point  of 


DANGEEOUS  WALKING   GROUND.  219 

rock,  commanding  a  wide  stretch  of  country  to  the  eastward  not 
in  view  from  the  ship.  A  part  of  this,  embracing  a  circuit  of 
many  miles,  was  level.  It  appeared  to  be  well  fitted  for  the  cul- 
ture of  rice,  much  of  which  is  grown  in  St.  Catherine,  but  appa- 
rently is  unredeemed ;  a  vast  jungle  in  a  state  of  nature,  with- 
out indication  of  an  inhabitant.  The  evening  was  very  fine, 
and  the  air  so  exhilarating,  that  we  skipped  and  jumped  from 
rock  to  rock,  amidst  bush  and  bramble,  with  a  freedom  we  would 
not  have  ventured  had  we  known  what  we  afterwards  learnt,  that 
the  spot  is  noted  for  the  venomous  reptiles  with  which  it  abounds. 
Of  these  we  saw  none,  however,  and  indulged  in  our  gymnastics 
without  fear.  Indeed,  I  have  not  seen  a  living  serpent  or  rep- 
tile of  any  kind  since  I  have  been  in  Brazil :  not  a  scorpion,  and 
but  one  centipede,  and  that  in  a  ship-chandler's  in  Eio  de  Janeiro. 
On  our  return  we  passed,  near  the  beach,  grove  after  grove  of 
orange  trees,  so  laden  with  fruit  that  the  ground  beneath  was  cov- 
ered, as  in  an  apple-orchard  at  home,  after  the  trees  have  been 
shaken  in  the  gathering  season. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

Bio  se  Jaiteibo. 

June  2^0tli. — On  entering  this  port  on  the  16th  inst.,  we  all 
felt  anew  the  exciting  influence  of  its  wild  and  magnificent  scenery, 
and  were  constrained  again  to  pronounce  it  unrivalled,  by  any 
thing  seen  by  us  in  any  part  of  the  world. 

The  last  report  of  the  health  of  the  place  which  had  reached 
us  at  Montevideo,  was  favorable.  The  yellow  fever,  after  having 
prevailed  a  second  season  as  an  epidemic,  was  said  to  have  dis- 
appeared. Our  apprehensions  on  this  point  were  excited  for  a 
time,  however,  as  we  came  in,  by  perceiving  the  man-of-war 
anchorage  to  be  entirely  deserted.  In  place  of  three  or  four 
different  squadrons,  English,  French,  Brazilian,  Portuguese  and 
American,  riding  at  their  moorings,  like  a  flock  of  water-fo-^1,  not 
a  solitary  ship  was  discoverable  :  nor  was  there  a  sign  of  move- 
ment of  any  kind,  on  the  whole  bay.  This  we  thought  ominous 
of  bad  news,  but  happily  without  just  cause.  The  first  boat 
from  the  shore,  assured  us  of  the  good  health  of  the  port.  What- 
ever malaria  may  exist  has  lost  its  malignancy,  and  exhibits  itself 
only  in  cases  of  imprudence  and  special  exposure,  in  the  milder 
types  of  intermittent  fever.  It  is  the  winter  season,  or  period  at 
which  the  sun  has  reached  its  farthest  remove  in  this  latitude, 
and  all  nature  is  in  double  freshness  and  brilliancy.  The  coloring 
of  the  skies  in  the  mornings  and  evenings  is  beautiful :  this  is 


WINTER   WEATHER   AT   RIO.  221 

especially  the  case  after  suns^,  when  at  times  a  golden  and  ver- 
milion glory  has  filled  the  west  with  a  splendor  I  do  not  recollect 
to  have  seen  surpassed.  The  effect  of  this  upon  the  pinnacled 
rocks  and  precipices  of  the  mountains — brought  into  bold  relief 
by  the  shades  of  the  hour — and  upon  the  promontories  and  islets 
of  the  bay,  the  church  and  convent  towers,  and  the  leading 
architecture  of  the  city,  is  gorgeous.     This  was  particularly  the 

case,  an  evening  or  two  ago,  while  Dr.  C and  I  were  enjoying 

a  stroll  over  Gloria  Hill.  Our  progress  was  arrested  by  it :  and 
after  standing  for  some  time  in  silent  admiration  of  the  picture 
presented,  from  the  elevated  terraces  in  front  of  the  church,  we 
joined  in  the  exclamation,  "  no  words  in  our  own  or  any  other 
language  can  describe  such  a  scene :  painting  itself  could  do  no 
justice  to  it !  " 

The  temperature  now,  even  at  mid-day,  is  not  too  hot  for  ex- 
ercise, the  mean  height  of  the  thermometer  being  73°  Fahrenheit. 
The  weather  resembles  that  of  the  finest  in  June  at  home ;  the  even- 
ings and  nights,  however,  are  cooler.  This  is  the  general  character 
of  the  weather  from  March  to  September ;  and  nothing  in  climate 
can  be  finer.  During  the  rest  of  the  year,  the  heat,  with  the 
mercury  at  mid-day  at  90°,  is  oppressive  and  debilitating. 

We  have  renewed  our  acquaintance  pleasantly  with  Don  Juan 

and  Dona  M ,  and  are  disposed  to  regard  the  simplicity  of 

mind  and  heart,  evidenced  by  them,  the  kindness  of  their 
manners,  and  the  cordiality  of  their  hospitality,  as  character- 
istic of  the  people  of  the  country  in  general ;  and  to  believe  that 
they  would(»be  manifested  to  all  foreigners  of  respectability,  as 
readily  as  to  us,  under  circumstances  to  call  them  into  exercise. 
Our  friends  of  Praya  Domingo,  however,  make  no  secret  of  the 
fact  that  our  nationality  is  a  strong  recommendation  to  them. 
Both  profess  great  admiration  of  the  United  States  as  a  nation, 
not  from  what  they  have  seen  of  its  citizens — for  we  are  the  first 
and  only  Americans  they  have  known — but  from  what  they  have 
heard  and  read  of  our  history  and  condition,  and  the  practical 
working  of  our  institutions. 


222  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

I  have  taken  but  one  new  walk  :  this  was  through  the  valley  of 
the  Larangeiras,  in  company  with  Captain  Mcintosh  and  Dr. 
C .  Much  as  I  had  often  admired  its  general  features,  in  pass- 
ing through  the  open  street  of  the  Catete,  from  which  it  branches 
westward  to  the  mountains,  the  heat  of  the  weather,  and  its  dis- 
tance from  the  ordinary  landing,  prevented  a  visit  to  it.  It  is  a 
half  mile,  perhaps,  in  width  at  the  entrance,  but  soon  becomes 
only  a  narrow  glen,  terminating  at  the  end  of  a  couple  or  more 
miles,  beneath  the  steep  sides  of  the  overhanging  mountain.  A 
fine  carriage  road  winds  through  it,  crossing  and  recrossing 
repeatedly  a  sparkling  mountain  stream,  which  brawls  and  bab- 
bles and  murmurs,  from  side  to  side.  It  is  charming  through- 
out :  so  quiet  and  secluded,  so  embowered  and  rural,  so  fresh 
in  atmosphere  and  luxuriant  in  growth,  and  so  varied  in  the 
architecture  of  its  dwellings,  from  the  ornamented  villa  and 
sculptured  palace,  to  the  simplest  and  most  humble  of  cottages. 
The  orange  and  coffee  tree,  the  banana  and  other  broad-leaved 
vegetation  of  the  tropics,  cluster  thickly  around ;  and  are  over- 
shadowed by  the  loftier  growth  of  the  magnificent  mango,  the 
towering  palm,  the  feathery  foliage  of  the  tamarind  and  acacia, 
and  here  and  there  that  of  the  thorny  cotton-tree  or  Bombax,  with 
its  trunk  and  limbs  well  guarded  by  the  defences  which  give  to 
it  a  descriptive  name. 

Roses  and  jessamines,  and  brilliantly  flowering  creepers ;  the 
gay  hybiscus,  the  thick-set  bloom  of  the  purple  bignonia,  and 
the  gorgeous  glare  of  the  poinsetta,  meet  the  eye  at  every  turn, 
and  fill  the  air  with  sweet  perfumes.  In  contrast  wfth  our  im- 
prisonment on  board  ship  at  Montevideo,  it  was  a  luxury  scarcely 
appreciable  by  others,  to  stroll  amidst  such  imagery;  with  an 
occasional  glimpse,  through  an  open  gateway  or  the  ornamental 
railings  of  an  enclosure,  of  the  fountains  and  grottoes,  the  alcoves 
and  bowers,  the  gravelled  walks  and  tesselated  pavements,  the 
busts,  the  statues  and  statuettes,  which  embellish  the  grounds  of 
those  "  rich  in  this  world's  goods." 

Near  the  head  of  the  valley,  a  winding  pathway  on  one  side 


LABANGEIRAS   OR   ORANGE   VALLEY.  223 

leads  up  tlie  acclivity  by  steep  ascent,  to  the  line  of  the  aque- 
duct, fifteen  hundred  feet  above  the  level  below.  One  section  of 
this  is  peculiarly  beautiful.  It  overhangs  the  valley,  and  em- 
bowered overhead,  reminded  me  forcibly  and  pleasantly  in  many 
of  its  features — with  the  exception  of  the  tropical  growth — of  the 
gravelled  terrace  of  the  old  road  at  Cooperstown,  which  leads  to 
the  "  Mount  Vison  "  of  Cooper's  Pioneers.  In  a  secluded  nook 
near  by,  is  the  residence  of  the  British  minister :  an  irregular 
cottage,  buried  in  shade,  and  vocal  with  the  murmurings  of  water- 
courses. After  passing  this,  as  we  gained  height  after  height, 
and  looked  down  with  bird's-eye  view,  the  Larangeiras  and  its 
surroundings  seemed,  in  the  lights  and  shades  of  the  hour,  like  a 
sketch  in  fairy  land. 

The  fatality  in  the  city,  of  the  late  epidemic,  has  led  to  the 
construction,  recently,  of  great  numbers  of  residences  along  the 
spurs  and  sides  of  the  mountains.  One  of  these  is  just  finished, 
near  the  point  at  which  we  reached  the  aqueduct.  The  site  is 
superb ;  and,  while  resting  from  the  fatigue  of  the  sharp  ascent, 
we  greatly  enjoyed  the  magnificent  prospect  of  both  land  and  sea 
which  it  commands.  From  this  point,  the  descent  of  five  miles 
along  the  aqueduct  to  the  city  is  so  gradual,  for  the  greater  part 
of  the  way,  as  to  be  almost  imperceptible.  For  two  miles  the 
pathway  is  a  lofty  terrace,  cut  in  the  face  of  the  mountain  for  the 
course  of  the  aqueduct,  from  which,  beneath  overhanging  trees, 
you  look  up  on  one  side,  upon  steep  rocks  and  wild  woods,  and 
down  on  the  other,  as  from  the  parapets  of  a  lofty  castle,  upon 
a  succession  of  views  of  cultivated  and  surprising  beauty.  In- 
deed, the  whole  walk  seemed  to  me  like  that  through  a  picture- 
gallery  of  magnificently  drawn,  and  gorgeously  colored  landscapes. 
The  aqueduct  does  not  follow  a  straight  line,  but  runs  zigzag,  at 
long,  obtuse  angles.  The  pathway  is  beside  it,  and  in  following 
its  course,  new  and  varied  vistas,  both  before  and  behind,  are 
constantly  presented.  The  massive  masonry,  and  finished  work- 
manship of  the  time-marked,  and  moss-covered  old  structure, 
contrast  strongly  in  their  aspect  of  civilization,  with  the  wild- 


224  BKAZIL  AND  LA  PLATA. 

ness  of  the  overhanging  cliffs  and  forests,  while  in  many  places, 
the  gay  coloring  of  the  endless  variety  of  lichens  and  orchidge 
which  cover  it,  gives  to  the  surface  the  appearance  of  richly 
variegated  marble. 

Before  we  reached  the  city,  the  shades  of  the  evening  had 
gathered  around  us,  as  deeply  as  the  moon  near  her  second  quarter 
would  allow.  .Many  of  the  objects  around  and  above  us,  were 
thus  brought  in  bold  outline  against  the  sky.  This  effect  was 
particularly  beautiful,  where  the  palm  or  cocoa-nut  tree  spread 
its  long  and  graceful  plumage,  in  dark  masses  upon  the  light 
beyond. 

The  last  striking  picture  which  met  the  eye  as  we  descended 
the  hill  of  Santa  Theresa,  was  that  of  a  family,  grouped  in  an 
arbor  of  roses  and  honeysuckle,  canopied  with  clustering  bigno- 
nia,  on  the  angle  of  a  wall  twenty  feet  above  our  heads,  silently 
enjoying  in  the  twilight  the  last  fannings  of  the  sea-breeze,  while 
from  the  towers  of  the  convent  close  by,  the  vesper  bell  sent 
forth  its  silvery  sounds  in  invitations  to  prayer. 

June  ^Qth. — It  is  to  the  Romish  Church  that  we  are  here 
chiefly  indebted  for  every  thing  in  the  way  of  spectacle.  Two 
principal  feast  days  have  occurred  within  the  week  past :  that  of 
Corpus  Christi  on  the  19th,  and  that  of  St.  John  the  Baptist  on 
the  24th  instw  The  fete  of  Corpus  Christi  was  observed  with 
great  display.  It  was  instituted  by  Urban  IV.,  six  hundred 
years  ago,  in  honor  of  the  then  newly  adopted  doctrine  of  transub- 
stantiation,  and  consequent  adoration  of  the  host.  Its  legendary 
origin  is  traced  to  Juliana,  a  nun  of  Liege,  who,  while  looking  at 
the  full  moon,  saw  a  gap  in  its  orb,  and  by  peculiar  revelation 
from  heaven,  learned  that  the  moon  represented  the  Christian 
Church,  and  the  gap  the  want  of  a  festival  for  the  adoration  of 
the  body  of  Christ,  in  the  consecrated  wafer.  This  she  was  _to 
begin  to  celebrate,  and  to  announce  to  the  world.  The  authoti- 
zation  of  the  festival  by  papal  bull,  was  induced  by  the  following 
miraculous  incident.  While  a  priest,  who  did  not  believe  in  the 
change  of  the  bread  into  the  body  of  Christ,  was  going  through 


J 


FESTIVAL    OF    CORPUS    CHfllSTI.  225 

the  ceremony  of  benediction,  drops  of  blood  fell  upon  his  sur- 
plice, which,  when  he  endeavored  to  conceal  them  in  the  folds  of 
his  garment,  were  formed  into  bloody  images  of  the  host.-  His 
scepticism  was  thus  overcome ;  and  the  bull  of  Urban,  authoriz- 
ing the  adoration,  was  published.  This  occurred  in  1264,  and 
the  bloody  surplice  is  still  shown  at  Civita  Vecchia  as  a  relic ! 

In  Rio  de  Janeiro,  as  in  all  papal  countries,  Corpus  Christi 
is  a  chief  festival  in  the  year.  Its  celebration  was  commenced 
at  the  dawn  of  day,  by  a  general  peal  of  the  bells  from  every 
church  and  convent  tower,  by  the  booming  of  cannon  along  the 
shores,  and  the  hissing  and  crackling  of  rockets  in  the  sky* 
Flags  were  every  where  unfurled ;  draperies  of  silk  and  satin,  of 
gold  and  silver  tissue,  of  damask  and  velvet  of  every  hue,  were 
displayed,  from  the  windows  and  balconies  of  the  houses  in  the 
principal  streets ;  and  the  windows  of  the  palace  ornamented  on 
the  outside  with  rich  hangings  of  crimson  damask.  High  mass 
was  performed  in  the  imperial  chapel  at  11  o'clock.  This  was 
now  opened  for  the  first  time,  after  having  been  for  a  year  undergo-* 
ing  a  thorough  renovation,  by  regilding  and  new  painting  in  fresco. 
The  effect  is  rich  and  chaste.  On  either  side  of  the  nav«,  between 
the  entrance  and  the  transept,  are  the  shrines  of  the  apostolic 
saints,  above  which  hang  paintings  of  each,  with  the  accustomed 
emblems  of  their  individuality.  "  The  Supper,"  by  a  master, 
ornaments  the  altar  of  a  side  chapel  at  one  end  of  the  transept, 
and  a  beautifully  executed  and  classically  draped  effigy  of  St. 
Julian  in  wax,  in  a  sarcophagus  of  glass,  adorns  the  other.  The 
altar-piece  of  the  grand  altar  covers  the  entire  end  of  the  chapel 
within  the  chancel.  The  subject  is  the  assumption  of  the  Vir- 
gin. The  royal  family  of  Portugal — at  the  time  of  the  immigra- 
tion— in  attitudes  of  adoration,  occupy  the  foreground :  the 
Queen  mother,  John  VI.  and  his  wife,  Carlota  of  Spain,  and 
Don  Pedro  I.,  then  a  lad,  being  the  chief  figures. 

The  imperial  body-guard  in  state  dresses,  with  halberds  at 
rest,  early  formed  in  lines  on  either  side  of  the  nave  from  the 
entrance   to  the   transept.     The   intervening   space,  newly  car- 
10* 


226  BRAZIL   AND   LA  PLATA. 

peted,  was  in  reserve  for  the  ministers  of  state,  the  officers  of 
the  household,  and  other  dignitaries  of  the  Empire.  A  proces- 
sion of  these  soon  made  its  appearance  from  a  vesting-roOm  com- 
municating with  the  palace,  and  opened  in  file  along  the  nave  for 
the  passage  of  the  bishop  and  his  ecclesiastical  attendants  to 
the  chancel,  and  of  the  Emperor,  who  followed  them,  to  a  cano- 
pied throne  near  the  high  altar.  The  Empress  and  her  ladies 
had  already  entered  the  imperial  tribune  facing  the  throne.  The 
bishop  was  in  full  prelatic  dress,  wearing  his  mitre  and  bearing 
the  gilded  crosier  emblematic  of  his  office.  When  the  chapel 
was  thus  filled,  the  coup  d'oeil  presented  a  brilliant  scene  in  the 
masses  of  rich  embroideries  in  gold;  the  jewelled  decorations  of 
the  dignitaries  of  state ;  and  the  court  dresses  of  the  different 
classes  of  the  aristocracy.  These  last  were  chiefly  of  velvet  in  rich 
hues,  lined  with  white  silk — purple,  maroon,  mazarine  and  sky 
blue,  light  and  dark  green,  and  here  and  there  a  suit  of  the  same 
of  plain  black. 

The  orchestra  was  full,  and  embraced  the  best  performers  of 
the  opera  company,  both  vocal  and  instrumental.  As  the  service 
proceeded,  the  varied  attitudes  and  groupings  in  the  chancel  and 
at  the  altar,  of  the  officiating  priests 

"  Glaring  in  gems  and  gay  in  woven  gold ;  ** 

the  floating  incense ;  the  harmony  of  the  duo,  the  trio,  and  the 
quartette  ;  the  touching  strains  of  the  solo ;  and  the  burst  of  the 
full  chorus,  could  scarcely  fail  to  impress  the  senses.  And 
when  added  to  this  general  effect,  at  the  elevation  of  the  host 
each  halberdier,  with  battle-axe  reversed,  dropped  on  his 
bended  knee  ;  every  courtier  bowed  his  forehead  to  the  ground ; 
the  bishop  humbled  himself  at  the  steps  of  the  altar,  and  the 
Emperor  kneeled  on  the  platform  of  his  throne ;  the  whole  ta- 
bleau was  one  most  striking  in  its  dramatic  show.  Externally  all 
was  a  profoundness  of  adoration,  which,  directed  spiritually  to 
the    Godhead,    would   have    been    irresistibly   impressive ;    but 


COKPUS   CHRISTI   AND   ST.   JOHN'S   DAYS.  227 

addressed  to  a  mere  wafer,  and  to  be  regarded  as  gross  idolatry, 
it  was  both  painful  to  the  mind  and  saddening  to  the  heart. 

Long  before  the  termination  of  the  mass,  a  procession  was 
marshalled  in  front  of  the  chapel  in  the  palace-square,  await- 
ing the  addition  from  the  church  of  the  ecclesiastics  and  the 
court,  before  moving  through  some  of  the  principal  streets.  The 
leading  group  was  unique ;  and  apparently  the  most  attractive 
part  to  the  surrounding  crowds.  It  consisted  of  a  colossal  effigy 
of  St.  George,  in  knightly  armor,  mounted  upon  a  splendidly 
caparisoned  charger  from  the  Emperor's  stud,  led  by  a  groom  in 
oriental  dress.  An  armor-bearer  in  black  mail,  and  other  attend- 
ants in  characteristic  costume,  formed  the  suite;  while  a  dozen 
led  horses  in  housings  of  green  cloth,  stiff  with  the  imperial  arms 
in  massive  silver,  completed  the  cortege  of  the  pasteboard  saint 
All  else  in  the  show  was  purely  ecclesiastic,  with  a  great  display  of 
the  varied  costumes  and  emblematic  devices  of  the  Romish 
Church.  At  the  end  of  the  religious  service,  the  dignitaries,  both 
of  Church  and  State,  fell  into  the  line,  and  were  followed  by  the 
host,  borne  by  the  bishop  beneath  a  fringed  and  tasselled  canopy 
of  cloth  of  gold,  one  of  the  gilt  supporters  of  which  was  held 
by  the  Emperor  with  uncovered  head. 

Don  Pedro,  wherever,  seen,  bears  inspection  well ;  and  carries 
with  him  as  much  of  the  impress  of  his  station  as  any  monarch  I 
have  seen. 

There  was  no  public  procession  on  St.  John's  day,  but  its 
approach  was  heralded  by  a  great  setting  off  of  rockets  and  other 
fireworks  the  night  previous,  and  the  glare  of  bonfires  in  different 
parts  of  the  city.  These  were  seen  with  fine  effect  from  the  ship ; 
especially  the  rockets,  with  the  dark  mountains  for  a  back- 
ground. The  evening  following  was  observed  in  a  similar  man- 
ner :  altogether  like  the  night  of  the  fourth  of  July  at  home. 
At  every  respectable-looking  house,  fireworks  of  more  or  less 
elaborate  workmanship  were  displayed ;  rockets  of  all  descriptions 
were  shooting  in  brilliant  corruscations  through  the  air ;  and  illu- 
minated balloons  sent  up,  while  colored  lamps,  thickly  clustered 


228  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

upon  the  convents  crowning  the  hills,  flashed  through  the  dark- 
ness like  diadems  of  diamonds. 

July  Id. — On  a  former  visit  at  Rio,  I  gave  you  some  account 
of  the  Foundling  Hospital  and  Female  Orphan  Asylum,  in  con- 
nection with  the  marriage  of  an  eleve  of  the  last.  This  is  the 
second  of  July,  the  fete  day  of  St.  Elizabeth — that  on  which 
the  asylum  is  open  to  visitors,  and  on  which,  usually,  the  mar- 
riages of  such  of  the  inmates  as  are  under  engagement  take 
place.  The  Emperor  and  Empress  were  among  the  visitors  to- 
day, and  sanctioned  by  their  presence  the  marriage  of  four  couples 
in  the  chapel.  The  anniversary  had  been  fixed  upon,  for  throw- 
ing open  to  public  inspection  a  new  building  for  the  Hospital  of 
the  Misericordia,  of  which  both  the  Foundling  Hospital  and 
Orphan  Asylum  are  appendages.  I  improved  the  opportunity 
to  pass  through  the  wards  of  the  sick.  These  were  in  the 
most  perfect  order  and  neatness.  Every  possible  provision  seemed 
to  be  made  for  the  care  and  comfort  of  the  inmates ;  and  the 
whole  establishment  gave  evidence  of  fulfilling  the  benevolence 
of  its  design. 

The  practical  benevolence  of  the  Romish  Church  is  exhibited 
in  no  form  more  general  and  commendable,  than  in  the  care  which 
is  taken  of  the  poor  and  the  sick.  Rio  abounds  in  hospitals  for 
these.  Some  are  connected  with  convents  or  monasteries,  and 
others  are  separate  and  independent  institutions.  They  are 
founded  and  sustained  by  incorporated  societies,  corresponding  in 
their  general  features  with  the  voluntary  organizations  with  us  at 
home  for  philanthropic  and  charitable  purposes,  but  here  called 
brotherhoods.  These  are  of  various  names ;  that  of  the  Miseri- 
cordia or  "  House  of  Mercy,"  is  the  largest  and  most  wealthy, 
and  owes  its  origin,  nearly  three  centuries  ago,  to  the  piety  and 
benevolence  of  the  celebrated  Jesuit,  Anchieta.  The  hospital  is 
situated  on  the  bay  beneath  Castle  Hill.  Its  doors  are  open  at  all 
hours,  night  and  day,  to  the  sick  of  both  sexes,  of  all  religions 
and  of  every  country  and  color,  without  any  form  or  condition  of 
admittance  :   all  receive  gratuitously  the  ablest  medical  attend- 


HOSPITAL   OF   THE   MISERICORDIA.  229 

ance  and  the  best  nursing  and  care.  The  numbers  of  its  patients 
amount  to  thousands  yearly,  the  proportion  of  deaths  occurring 
being  about  one-fifth  of  the  whole  received. 

The  original  building  is  old,  and  has  been  long  insufficient  in 
its  dimensions  and  convenience,  for  the  numerous  applicants  for 
relief.  A  new  structure  has  been  for  ten  years  and  more  in  pro- 
gress on  an  adjoining  site.  A  large  section  of  this,  two-thirds  of 
the  whole  plan,  is  now  completed,  and  was  opened  to  the  public 
for  the  first  time  to-day.  The  edifice  is  a  noble  structure.  The 
fagade  on  the  street  of  the  part  finished  being  four  hundred  feet. 
It  is  four  stories  in  height,  and  is  surmounted,  in  the  centre,  by  a 
finely  proportioned  and  symmetrical  dome.  The  whole  presents 
the  finest  architectural  feature  of  the  city,  in  the  approach 
from  the  sea.  The  interior  throughout  is  palace-like.  The  plan 
is  admirably  arranged  for  ventilation  and  light,  and  embraces 
every  modern  improvement  for  the  insurance  of  cleanliness  and 
purity.  The  structure  is  quadrangular.  The  parts  already  fin- 
ished enclose  two  spacious  courts,  beautifully  laid  out  in  walks 
intermingled  with  flower-gardens  and  shrubberies,  as  places  of 
exercise  for  the  convalescent.  Each  is  ornamented  with  a  foun- 
tain ;  when  the  building  shall  be  completed,  corresponding  courts 
on  the  new  part  are  to  be  added.  The  perspective  through  the 
long  corridors  and  the  lofty  wards,  which  communicate  with  each 
other  the  whole  length  by  folding-doors,  is  exceedingly  fine : 
indeed,  the  whole  structure  is  a  credit  to  the  civilization  of  the 
age,  and  is  a  splendid  monument  of  the  munificence  and  bene- 
volence- of  the  Brotherhood  of  Mercy. 

The  institution  embraces  a  department  for  the  insane.  For 
the  separate  accommodation  of  such  patients,  another  imperial-like 
structure  is  in  progress  and  nearly  completed,  on  the  beautiful 
bay  of  Botafogo.  It  already  attracts  the  eye  of  the  stranger 
entering  the  port,  more  than  any  other  object  in  the  surrounding 
panorama.  Of  this  the  Emperor  has  been  a  principal  and  muni- 
ficent patron. 

The  possessions  and  funded  capital  of  the  Misericordia  are 


230  BRAZIL   AND   LA    PLATA. 

very  great.  The  dying  bequests  of  the  charitable,  in  money  and 
in  real  estate,  for  the  long  period  of  centuries,  with  the  advance 
of  value  in  property,  make  it  one  of  the  most  richly  endowed  in- 
stitutions of  the  Empire,  and  insure  perpetuity  to  its  worthy  and 
Christ-like  charities.  Membership  is  secured  by  the  payment  of 
an  initiation  fee  and  an  annual  subscription  :  this  guarantees  the 
right  to  a  support  in  sickness  and  in  poverty,  and  to  the  religious 
services  of  the  church  in  burial.  Members  to  the  brotherhoods 
are  received  at  any  age,  even  that  of  the  merest  childhood.  On  one 
occasion,  I  witnessed  the  ceremonies  of  an  initiation  to  the  frater- 
nity of  the  Carmelites.  It  took  place  with  much  ceremony  in  the 
church  of  the  order.  A  very  large  number  were  received,  and  in- 
cluded boys  from  the  ages  of  five  and  six  years  to  full  manhood. 
Assembled  in  the  sacristy,  each  placed  over  his  ordinary  dress 
a  cape  or  mantle  of  silk,  the  badge  of  the  order  on  occasions  of 
ceremony,  and  each  receiving  from  the  appointed  officers  a  conse- 
crated amulet,  a  girdle  of  patent  leather,  and  a  rosary,  walked 
in  procession  to  the  grand  altar  of  the  church.  The  whole  build- 
ing was  in  high  decoration,  with  a  superb  display  of  gold  and  sil- 
ver plate  on  the  altar,  and  of  reading  desks  of  solid  silver  in  the 
chancel.  The  dresses  of  the  officiating  priests,  and  the  officers  of 
the  society,  were  new  and  rich ;  and  the  music  of  the  first  order. 
The  ceremonies  of  the  initiation  consisted  in  verbal  pledges  on 
the  part  of  the  novitiates,  anointings,  crossings,  sprinklings  with 
holy  water,  and  perfuming  with  incense,  and  were  followed  with 
showers  of  rose-leaves  scattered  widely  from  silver  salvers,  over 
the  newly  received. 

July  22c?. — The  principal  incident  of  the  last  few  days  has 

been  a  wedding,  on  the  20th,  in  the  family  of  Mr.  R ,  the 

bride  being  Miss  E. ,  his  daughter.     The  marriage  took  place 

at  the  residence  of  Mr  M ,  the  maternal  grandfather  of  the 

lady,  who  holds  a  chief  place  among  the  merchant  princes  of 
Rio.  It  is  situated  seven  or  eight  miles  westward  from  the  city, 
beyond  the  valley  of  Engenho  Yelho,  beneath  the  mountains  of 
Tejuca.    Our  commander-in-chief,  to  a  seat  with  whom  I  had  been 


COUNTRY-SEAT    OF    MR.    M .  231 

invited,  is  a  man  of  great  simplicity  in  his  habits  of  life,  and 
averse  to  any  thing  like  display  in  his  movements.  The  appear- 
ance, therefore,  of  a  showy  equipage  with  four  horses — as  the  car- 
riage which  he  had  directed  to  be  in  waiting  at  the  landing — took 
him  quite  by  surprise,  and  led  to  an  order  immediately  for  the 
dismissal  of  two  of  the  animals ;  but  to  this  the  coachman  objected 
so  strongly,  with  the  assurance  from  his  master  that  the  four 
would  be  found  necessary  before  reaching  our  destination,  and 

that  no  one  ever  drove  to  Mr.  M 's  with  a  single  pair,  that 

the  Commodore  was  obliged  to  submit.  So,  ordering  his  valet, 
who  happened  to  be  in  attendance,  to  mount  to  his  place — that 
there  might  be  some  keeping  in  the  turn-out — ^we  were  off  with 
a  whirl,  four-in-hand. 

The  drive,  for  the  greater  part  of  the  way,  was  the  same  we 

had  made  in  our  visits  to  the  country-seat  of  Mr.  R .     While 

yet  a  couple  of  miles  from  our  destination,  we  had  full  proof  of 
the  desirableness  at  least,  of  having  four  horses  to  the  carriage. 
Though  there  has  scarcely  been  any  rain  for  a  fortnight  past,  the 
road  through  the  flat  valley,  in  a  soil-  of  stiff  clay,  became  so 
heavy  that  it  was  difficult  for  the  four  to  save  us  from  being  fixed 
in  the  mire,  in  which  the  wheels  at  times  were  sunk  to  the  hubs. 
In  due  time,  however,  we  reached  the  stately  gateway,  by  which 
the  broad  domain  of  Mr.  M is  entered.  This  is  a  semicir- 
cular structure  of  white  marble,  with  massive  gates  and  railing 
of  cast  iron  in  rich  patterns  :  erected  at  a  cost  of  more  than  seven 
thousand  dollars.  The  drive  from  this  to  the  house  is  a  broad 
avenue  of  closely  planted  mango  trees.  The  mango  is  one  of 
the  noblest  of  what  may  be  called  the  civilized  trees  of  the  coun- 
try, in  contradistinction  to  the  natives  of  the  forest.  In  its  lofti- 
ness, roundness  of  top,  wide-spread  limbs,  and  thickset  foliage 
of  deep  green,  it  resembles  the  black  ash  of  the  Middle  States, 
more  than  any  tree  familiar  to  you,  which  occurs  to  my  recollec- 
tion at  the  moment :  the  general  outline  is  perhaps  more  spreading. 
It  is  the  season  of  its  blossoms,  though  these  are  not  yet  in  full 
display.     The  flowers  come  out  in  spikes,  like  those  of  the  horse 


232  BRAZIL   AND   LA  PLATA. 

chestnut,  and  rise  thickly  over  the  whole  tree.  Their  color,  while 
now  yet  in  bud,  varies  from  a  light  pea-green  to  a  brownish  red, 
the  general  effect  being  like  that  of  the  common  chestnut  when 
in  bloom ;  when  fully  blown,  however,  the  flowers  are  white. 
These,  when  close  at  hand,  contrast  beautifully  with  the  dark 
green  of  the  leaf;  but,  at  a  distance,  present  an  almost  indistin- 
guishable mass  of  whiteness. 

The  want  of  neatness  and  good  keeping  in  the  grounds  of 
Brazilian  country-houses  is  observable,    even   in   those   of  Mr. 

M ,  though  his  residence  is  quite  a  palace,  and  his  wealth 

estimated  by  millions.  The  mansion  is  of  stone,  massively  built, 
and  about  eighty  feet  square.  The  general  height  is  two  stories, 
but  a  central  section,  having  an  ornamented  pediment  and  entab- 
lature, rises  to  three.  It  is  in  the  Italian  style,  with  balustrades 
around  the  flat  roof  surmounted  by  marble  vases  filled  with  aloes. 
The  facade  in  extent  and  in  general  effect  reminds  me  of  the 
President's  house  at  Washington.  A  spacious  portico  with  tes- 
selated  pavements,  leads  into  a  lofty  hall,  from  which  a  staircase 
with  a  double  flight  of  steps  conducts  to  the  drawing-rooms,  on  the 
second  floor.  The  principal  rooms  of  the  ground  floor  are  a  din- 
ing-hall,  ball-room,  music-room,  and  chapel.  The  views  are  beau- 
tiful. That  in  front  commands  the  entire  plain,  filled  with  the 
country-houses  of  the  rich  and  their  surroundings,  the  spires  and 
towers  of  Rio,  and  the  mountains  across  the  bay,  in  the  distance ; 
and  that  in  the  rear,  a  great  variety  of  wild  mountain  scenery,  in 
primitive  luxuriance  and  solitude,  close  at  hand. 

"We  were  among  the  first  to  arrive,  but  were  quickly  followed 
by  a  large  company,  among  whom  were  many  richly  attired  ladies. 
Rich  and  fashionable  dress  is  here  peculiarly  a  passion  with  the 
sex ;  and  I  was  told  by  a  gentleman  present,  when  speaking  on 
the  subject,  that  a  lady  would  not  think  of  moving  in  general 
society  in  Rio,  without  an  allowance  for  the  toilette  of  at  least 
two  thousand  dollars  a  year. 

The  groom  being  an  Englishman,  the  marriage  as  a  civil  con- 
tract had  taken  place  early  in  the  day,  at  the  British  CQ,nsulate : 


SCENES   AT   A   MARRIAGE.  233 

he  being  a  Protestant  also,  while  the  bride  is  a  Eoman  Catholic, 
the  religious  rites  were  twofold — Romish  and  Protestant  Episco- 
pal. Contrary  to  the  usage  at  home,  the  bridal  party  joined 
the  general  company  in  the  drawing-rooms  while  the  guests  were 

assembling.     When  all  expected  had  arrived,  Mr.   M ,  the 

grandfather,  who  in  the  Romish  ceremony  was  to  give  away  the 
bride,  approached,  and  taking  her  by  the  hand,  led  the  long  pro- 
cession to  the  private  chapel  below.  The  service  was  performed 
by  the  priest  of  the  Parish,  who  is  also  the  family  chaplain,  in 
the  sacerdotal  robes  of  his  grade. 

It  was  in  the  Portuguese  language,  and  much  abreviated,  we 
were  told,  from  the  fact  that  one  of  the  parties  was  a  Protestant. 
Immediately  after  the  benediction,  when  the  parties  had  been  pro- 
claimed man  and  wife,  female  servants  in  the  rear  of  the  chapel 
scattered  from  baskets  of  silver,  over  the  bride  and  her  party,  as 
she  turned  from  the  altar  to  meet  the  embraces  of  her  friends, 
handfuls  of  freshly  gathered  rose-leaves  and  orange-blossoms. 
The  effect,  as  fluttering  lightly  through  the  air  they  fell  in  thick 
showers  on  the  group  and  the  whole  company,  was  poetic  and 
pretty. 

The  Protestant  ceremony,  conducted  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Graham, 
Rector  of  the  British  church  in  the  city,  took  place  immediately 
afterwards  in  the  principal  drawing-room,  a  magnificent  apart- 
ment, with  hangings  and  furniture  of  crimson  damask  and  dec- 
orations of  gold.  The  closing  scene  here,  in  place  of  the  shower 
of  rose-leaves  and  orange-flowers  of  the  chapel,  was  the  tableau 
presented  by  the  bride  kneeling  on  a  rich  footstool  in  the  midst 
of  her  bridesmaids,  receiving  with  bowed  head  and  tearful  eyes 
the  touching  blessing  with  which  the  Episcopal  rite  ends. 

The  marriage-feast,  of  sixty  covers,  was  served  in  the  ball- 
room, a  lofty  hall  with  decorations  in  white  and  gold.  The  en- 
tertainment, in  the  display  of  china,  glass,  and  plate,  and  of  flow- 
ers in  vases  of  Sevres  manufacture ;  in  ornamental  confectionery, 
and  the  profusion  of  luxurious  viands,  was  all  that  wealth  in  its 
liberality  and  taste  in  its  artistic  exercise  could  command. 


234  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

On  ahipboardj  two  incidents  of  more  than  commonplace  inte- 
rest have  occurred  since  my  last  date.     One  is  the  departure  for 

the  United  States  of  Lieut.  R in  ill  health  from  the  effects  of 

the  climate.  In  this,  the  wardroom  mess  and  the  ship  sustain  a 
great  loss.  He  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  young  men  I  have 
known  in  the  service.  Firm  in  principle,  cultivated  in  mind,  clear 
in  judgment,  prudent  in  action,  and  accomplished  in  his  profession, 
he  exhibits  great  symmetry  of  character  as  an  officer,  while  the 
frankness  and  polish  of  his  manners,  and  the  warmth  of  his  affec- 
tions, make  him  attractive  as  a  companion  and  dear  as  a  friend. 

My  last  interview  with  him  before  he  left  the  ship  was  most 
gratifying  to  me,  from  the  assurance  it  gave,  that  to  the  many 
other  attractions  of  his  character  there  would  be  added,  imme- 
diately on  his  arrival  home,  that  of  openly  avowed  membership 
with  the  Church  of  Christ.  Nothing  during  our  cruise  has  im- 
parted to  me  such  unfeigned  satisfaction  :  indeed  the  result  of  our 
conversation  on  this  subject,  was  a  joy  I  cannot  well  express. 

The  other  incident  was  of  a  painfully  different  nature :  one 
of  those  outbreaks,  which,  so  long  as  strong  drink  holds  its  sway 
over  so  many  seamen,  no  precaution  or  vigilance  can,  at  all  times, 
effectually  guard  against  on  board  a  man-of-war.  For  a  long 
time  the  Congress  has  been  under  the  most  favorable  auspices  in 
regard  to  discipline  and  general  good  conduct.  Contentment, 
cheerfulness,  and  ready  obedience,  seemed  to  be  the  prevailing 
feelings  of  the  crew.  But,  on  the  evening  of  the  18th  inst.,  just 
as  the  last  guests  of  a  party — similar  to  that  of  which  I  gave  an 
account  in  October,  had  left  the  ship,  it  became  known  that 
liquor  in  large  quantities  had  been  smuggled  on  board,  and  that 
many  of  the  men  were  intoxicated.  Sixty  or  seventy  were  soon 
beyond  all  self-control,  and,  maddened  by  rum,  were  most  insolent 
and  insubordinate  to  the  officers  who  attempted  to  restrain  them. 
In  the  darkness  of  the  deck,  it  was  difficult  to  distinguish  the 
ringleaders ;  and  after  these  were  secured  in  double  irons,  they 
made  the  rest  of  the  night  hideous,  by  their  boisterous  profanity 
and  drunken  ribaldry. 


A   REPKOOF   TO    DESPONDENCY.  235 

The  investigation  of  the  matter  showed  that  the  '  dinkey,'  a 
small  boat  used  as  a  tender  by  the  messenger-boys  and  servants  in 
communicating  with  the  shore,  had  inadvertently  been  left  afloat 
astern,  in  place  of  being  hoisted  from  the  water  as  usual,  before 
dark.  One  or  two  of  the  crew  made  their  way  to  this,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  bringing  off  from  the  shore,  liquor  sufficient  to  have 
intoxicated  the  whole  ship's  company.  It  was  freely  offered  to  all, 
but  sixty  or  seventy  only  would  partake  of  it ;  a  fact  speaking  well 
for  the  mass  in  contradistinction  to  the  few.  Still,  such  an 
outbreak,  though  limited  to  a  small  number,  and  those  the  veriest 
vagabonds  on  board,  is  disheartening  to  those  who  believe  in  the 
practicability  of  maintaining  the  discipline  and  good  order  of  a 
ship,  by  a  rule  of  kindness. 

The  consequence  of  this  conduct  was  a  kind  of  quarantine  of 
the  ship  the  next  day ;  no  boats  were  allowed  to  leave  for  the 
shore,  and  both  officers  and  men  remained  on  board.  It  was  Satur- 
day, and  I  had  not  sufficiently  recovered  from  the  shock  before 
the  Sabbath,  to  throw  off  a  despondency  in  regard  to  any  high 
results  from  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  to  such  hearers,  or  to 
overcome  a  feeling  that  I  was  speaking  but  to  the  wind.  There 
is  never  a  want,  however,  of  the  listening  ear ;  and  I  felt  reproved 
for  my  unbelief  by  the  first  chapter  of  the  Bible  read  at  the 
service,  in  which  occurs  the  declaration : 

"  As  the  rain  cometli  down,  and  the  snow  from  heaven, 
And  returneth  not  thither, 
But  watereth  the  earth, 
And  maketh  it  bring  forth  and  bud, 

That  it  may  give  seed  to  the  sower,  and  bread  to  the  eater  j 
So  shall  my  word  be  that  goeth  forth  out  of  my  mouth : 
It  shall  not  return  unto  me  void, 
But  it  shall  accomplish  that  which  I  please, 
And  it  shall  prosper  in  the  thing  whereunto  I  send  it. 
Instead  of  the  thorn — shall  come  up  the  fir  tree, 
And  instead  of  the  brier — shall  come  up  the  myrtle  tree. 
And  it  shall  be  to  the  Lord  for  a  name. 
For  an  everlasting  sign,  that  shall  not  be  cut  off." 


236  BRAZIL   AND  LA  PLATA. 

I  was  the  more  impressed  with  this  reproof  to  my  despon- 
dency, on  returning  to  my  room,  by  accidentally  falling  upon  a 
paraphrase  of  the  same  truth,  in  the  following  verses  : 

"  Ye  who  think  the  Truth  ye  sow 
Lost  beneath  the  winter's  snow, 
Doubt  not  Time's  unerring  law 
Yet  shall  bring  the  genial  thaw. 

God  in  nature  ye  can  trust : 
Is  the  God  of  grace  less  just  ? 

Workers  on  the  barren  soil, 
Yours  may  seem  a  thanldess  toil ; 
Sick  at  heart  with  hope  deferred, 
Listen  to  the  cheering  word  : 

"  Now  the  faithful  sower  grieves — 
Soon  he'll  bind  Ms  golden  sheaves." 

If  the  Almighty  have  decreed — 
Man  may  labor,  yet  the  seed 
IsTever  in  his  life  shall  grow. 
Shall  the  sower  cease  to  sow  ? 

The  fairest  fruit  may  yet  be  borne 

On  the  resurrection  mom ! " 


CHAPTEK    XX. 

MoffTISVJPEO. 

September  SOth. — New  aspects  in  the  political  affairs  of  the 
La  Plata,  led  to  the  return  of  the  Congress  to  this  place,  early 
last  month.  Previous  to  our  departure  from  Rio  de  Janeiro, 
the  U.  S.  steamer  Susquehanna,  hearing  the  flag  of  Commo- 
dore Aulick,  of  the  East  Indian  squadron,  arrived  there,  bring- 
ing as  passengers,  the  Hon.  Mr.  Schenck,  charge  d'affaires  at 
the  court  of  Brazil,  and  the  Hon.  Mr.  Pendleton,  commissioned 
with  the  same  office  to  the  Argentine  Confederation.  This  last 
gentleman  came  to  Montevideo  in  the  Congress,  on  his  way  to 
Buenos  Ayres. 

The  French  Government  not  having  sanctioned  the  articles  of 
pacification,  agreed  upon  by  Admiral  Le  Predour  and  General 
OribCj  a  year  and  more  ago,  the  armistice  between  the  belliger- 
ent parties  on  shore  is  terminated.  Hostilities  are  again  com- 
menced by  the  interchange  of  occasional  shots  between  the  out- 
posts, and  now  and  then  a  slight  skirmish,  in  which  a  few  persons 
on  both  sides  are  wounded,  and  sometimes  one  or  two  killed. 

The  change  would  be  comparatively  of  little  importance,  as 
to  the  promise  of  any  speedy  issue,  were  it  not  for  simultaneous 
movements  connected  with  it,  on  the  part  of  Brazil  on  the  one 
side,  and  two  of  the  principal  States  of  the  Argentine  Confederacy 
— those  of  Entre-Rios  and  Corrientes — on  the  other.     By  refer- 


238  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

ence  to  an  atlas,  it  will  be  perceived  that  the  chief  rivers,  whose 
confluent  waters  form  the  Rio  de  la  Plata — the  Uruguay,  the 
Parana,  and  the  Paraguay,  corresponding  in  their  extent  and 
their  importance  to  the  broad  valleys  through  which  they  flow 
with  the  Ohio,  the  Missouri,  and  the  Mississippi  of  the  Northern 
Continent — have  their  rise  in  Brazil,  and,  in  their  course,  border 
her  territories  for  long  distances.  The  free  navigation  of  these  is 
essential  to  her  interests.  One  chief  object  in  the  policy  of  Rosas, 
however,  has  been  to  keep  them  closed  to  all  foreign  commerce, 
that  the  trade  of  the  confederacy  might  centre  exclusively  in 
Buenos  Ayres;  and  thus  to  enrich  and  aggrandize  her,  at  the  sac- 
rifice of  the  interest,  both  of  Brazil  and  of  the  sister  republics  of 
the  confederation.  All  negotiation  on  the  part  of  the  court  of 
Brazil,  to  secure  free  access  to  the  interior  of  the  Empire  by  the 
tributaries  of  the  Plata,  having  proved  abortive,  that  govern- 
ment has  determined  to  try  the  effect  of  arms.  General  Urquiza, 
the  President  of  the  States  of  Entre-Rios  and  Corrientes,  long 
the  principal  coadjutor  of  Rosas,  and  the  most  successful  and 
distinguished  of  his  soldiers,  weary  of  his  tyranny,  and  opposed 
to  his  narrow-minded  and  selfish  policy,  has  entered  into  a  com- 
pact with  Brazil  to  aid  in  the  accomplishment  of  her  purpose. 
The  first  object  to  be  attained  is  the  overthrow  of  Oribe,  and 
the  consequent  relief  of  Montevideo  from  siege;  and  thus  to  lay 
the  basis  for  a  joint  attack  on  Buenos  Ayres.  Urquiza,  with  a 
force  of  fifteen  or  twenty  thousand  Entre-Rians  and  Corrientans, 
is  approaching  in  one  direction ;  and  the  Baron  Caxias,  having  an 
equal  force  of  Brazilian  infantry  and  artillery,  in  another  :  while 
a  squadron,  consisting  of  a  frigate,  two  sloops  of  war  and  three 
steamers,  under  the  command  of  Admiral  Grenfell,  has  arrived 
from  Rio,  and  is  at  anchor  near  us. 

This  determination  of  Urquiza,  as  the  governor  of  two  of  the 
principal  Argentine  States,  and  the  public  measure  by  which  it 
was  avowed,  have  led  to  a  striking  proof  of  the  mendacity,  by 
which  it  is  charged  that  Rosas  has  hitherto  sustained  his  despotic 
sway.     It  is  said,  and  with  no  little  show  of  truth,  that  his  whole 


DEFECTION  OF  UKQUIZA.  239 

system  of  government — ^notwithstanding  the  boasted  patriotism, 
disinterested  and  self-sacrificing  toil  in  the  public  service,  which 
the  press  and  archives  of  the  confederacy  printed  by  his  order  and 
under  his  immediate  personal  control,  attribute  to  him — is  but 
a  cunningly  devised  tissue  of  deception  and  falsity. 

For  years,  it  has  been  the  custom  of  Bosas  formally  to  ten- 
der to  the  representatives  of  the.  confederation,  the  resignation  of 
his  office  as  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs,  pleading  to  be  released 
from  it,  on  the  grounds  of  the  great  burden  of  the  charge,  his 
advancing  age,  broken  constitution,  and  declining  health.  This 
is  invariably  followed  by  the  most  laudatory  and  fulsome  pane- 
gyrics, from  the  leading  members  of  the  House,  upon  his  charac- 
ter— the  value  of  his  past  services,  and  the  necessity  of  their  con- 
tinuance, and  the  unanimous  resolution  that  he  shall  still  fill  the 
office :  it  being  well  known  that  not  a  member  dare — even  if  he 
had  the  secret  will — to  move  or  second  the  acceptance  of  the  prof- 
fered resignation.  The  Archive  Argentine,  or  Government  Regis- 
ter, printed  in  English,  and  French,  and  Spanish,  and  sent  widely 
over  the  civilized  world,  is  filled  with  the  record  of  these  political 
farces.  This  year,  however,  Urquiza,  as  the  President  or  Gover- 
nor of  Entre-Rios  and  Corrientes,  promptly  accepted  the  resigna- 
tion ;  and  by  public  proclamation,  released  Rosas  from  all  further 
charge  of  the  foreign  relations  of  those  States.  The  address  of 
Rosas  to  the  House  of  Representatives,  in  view  of  this  defection, 
has  just  been  issued.  It  is  strikingly  characteristic  of  the  man, 
and  is  a  curiosity,  both  as  a  literary  production  and  a  document 
of  State.  As  such,  I  furnish  it  to  you  entire,  though  not  respon- 
sible for  the  translation ;  that  is  by  *  authority,'  and  is  taken 
from  the  official  print. 

The  first  two  lines  of  the  motto  it  bears  are  the  prescribed 
caption  of  every  official  paper,  from  the  most  important  to  the 
most  trifling;  and  are  stamped  on  the  badges,  hitherto  universally 
worn  by  the  Argentines.  The  third  line  is  an  addition  just  de- 
creed. The  terms  "  Unitarian"  and  "  Federal,"  desigujate  the 
original  parties  in  the  confederation ;   the  first  being  applied  to 


r^ 


240  BBAZIL   AND  LA  PLATA. 

those  who  are  in  favor  of  a  consolidated  government,  similar  to 
that  of  the  United  States,  and  the  last  to  those  who  advocate 
that  of  the  compact  at  present  existing.     Under  Rosas,  the  Uni- 
tarian party  became  outlawed  and  in  effect  exterminated. 
Long  Live  the  Argentine  Confederation  ! 
Death  to  the  Ruthless,  Loathsome  Unitarians  ! 
Death  to  the   Insane   Traitor,   the  Ruthless  Unitarian 
Urquiza  ! 
Palermo  de  San  Benito,  Sept.  15th,  1851 — 
Year  the  42d  of  Liberty,  36th  of  our  Independence,  and  22d  of 

the  Argentine  Confederation — 
To  the  Honorable  House  of  Representatives — 
Messieurs  Representatives  : — 

To  command  the  Republic  during  a  long  period  of  agitation 
and  social  disorder ;  to  save  the  country  from  fratricidal  war ;  to 
accompany  it  in  the  glorious  defence  of  its  liberties ;  and  contri- 
bute to  preserve  it  from  the  ambition  of  the  destructive  and 
treacherous  band  of  ruthless  unitarians,  was  the  eminently  hon- 
orable mission  that  the  Argentine  people  imposed  upon  me,  and 
which  I  gratefully  accepted  with  the  enthusiasm  and  love  due  to 
my  country  and  to  my  fellow-citizens. 

After  a  memorable  epoch,  in  which  was  assigned  to  the  Argen- 
tine Confederation  the  glory  of  consolidating  its  independence, 
overwhelming  its  enemies ;  and  to  the  undersigned,  the  distin- 
guished honor  of  presiding  over  it ;  after  the  Republic  had  sup- 
pressed internal  anarchy  and  was  in  the  enjoyment  of  peace,  de- 
veloping its  elements  of  prosperity,  I  considered  the  moment  had 
arrived  to  resign  the  supreme  command,  to  which  I  had  been  ex- 
alted by  the  spontaneous,  reiterated  suffrage  of  my- countrymen, 
— and  I  earnestly  recjuested  you  to  appoint  another  citizen  as 
my  successor. 

You  refused  to  admit  my  fervent  prayer — the  inhabitants  of 
this  province  also  opposed  it  with  kind  firmness,  and  exercising  the 
right  of  petition,  begged  your  honors  to  persist  in  not  acceding 
to  my  repeated  tenders  of  resignation ;  and  the  Provinces  of  the 


ADDRESS    OF    ROSAS.  241 

Confederation,  expressing  their  wishes  through  their  Honorable 
Legislatures  and  Governments,  likewise  exacted,  with  generous 
interest,  my  continuation  at  the  head  of  the  national  affairs,  as 
the  means  of  insuring  the  present  happy  condition  of  the  Repub- 
lic, and  of  preparing  for  it  a  glorious  future. 

Overpowered  by  such  decision,  and  so  much  benevolence; 
oppressed  by  a  deep-felt  gratitude  toward  the  Argentine  Federals, 
yet  destitute  of  words  becomingly  to  express  those  feelings,  I  pre- 
sented to  your  honors,  to  my  fellow-citizens,  and  to  the  confeder- 
ate provinces,  the-  homage  of  my  most  ardent  and  profound 
acknowledgment — I  recognized  with  veneration  the  immense 
debt  which  the  magnanimous  vote  of  the  republic  imposed  upon 
me,  but  unwilling  to  sacrilSce  to  grateful  emotions  the  sacred 
interests  of  my  country,  I  continued  vehemently  yet  respectfully 
to  demand  from  your  honors  and  the  confederate  provinces  a  suc- 
cessor, who,  unbiassed  by  the  scruples  arising  from  my  republican 
views,  could  co-operate  more  efficaciously  than  myself,  to  the 
aggrandizement  of  our  dearly  beloved  country. 

The  tranquillity  which  the  Republic  experienced,  the  union 
which  prevailed  throughout  its  provinces,  the  wisdom  with  which, 
ameliorating  its  institutions,  it  expanded  the  resources  of  its  wel- 
fare, and  the  external  peace  which  its  loyal,  upright  and  generous 
policy  towards  all  nations  foreshadowed,  indicated  to  me  that  the 
moment  had  presented  itself  for  resigning  the  command,  without 
injury  to  the  nation. 

Animated  by  so  cheering  a  conviction,  I  insisted  in  my  fervid 
renunciation  before  your  honors,  and  the  confederate  Provinces, 
believing  that  my  prayer,  the  sincerity  of  my  words,  and  the 
cogency  of  my  reasons,  would  duly  influence  the  minds  of  the 
Argentine  people,  and  induce  them  to  accede  to  my  separation 
from  the  supreme  authority. 

But  while  I  expected  this,  and  the  undisturbed  state  of  the 

Republic  warranted  me  to  entertain  such  a  hope ;  at  this  very 

moment,  the  insane  traitor,  the  ruthless  unitarian  Urquiza,  raised 

the  standard  of  rebellion  and  anarchy.    Aspiring  to  sever,  with  his 

11 


242  BRAZIL    AND    LA   PLATA. 

degraded  sword,  the  bonds  that  uoite  the  people  of  Entre-Rios 
to  the  confederation,  and  to  constitute  himself  the  arbiter  of  the 
Argentines,  he  ignominiously  sold  himself  to  the  Brazilian  Govern- 
ment, that,  persisting  in  its  obstinate  ambition,  has  invaded  and 
attacked,  with  unprecedented  treachery,  the  territory  and  the 
Independence  of  the  Republics  of  the  Plata. 

In  so  solemn  a  crisis  for  the  Argentine  community,  when  its 
loyal  sons,  displaying,  as  at  all  times,  their  renowned  valor,  rise 
in  arms  to  resist  and  chastise  their  enemies,  avenging  so  many 
and  such  scandalous  outrages ;  when  they  prepare  themselves  with 
sublime  self-denial  for  the  most  honorable  efforts,  I  have  received 
a  new  declaration  from  the  Confederate  Provinces,  that  perempto- 
rily demands  my  continuance  in  the  supreme  command,  and  of 
which  you  will  be  informed  by  the  correspondence  that  I  will 
have  the  honor  of  presenting. 

And  since  the  nation  so  demands  it  of  me,  in  such  critical 
moments  for  its  tranquillity ;  since  in  the  presence  of  violent  for- 
eign aggressions,  and  an  unexampled  rebellion,  my  compatriots 
request  me  to  accompany  them  in  the  post  I  occupy,  to  defend 
our  independence  and  national  honor ;  since  the  Republic,  exj^s- 
perated  by  the  audacious  hostilities  of  the  Brazilian  Government, 
and  the  treason  of  the  ruthless  Unitarians,  prepares  to  retaliate 
the  war  which  they  have  precipitated ;  at  so  notable  an  epoch  I 
cannot  refuse,  nor  do  I  refuse,  honorable  Representatives,  my 
continuance  in  the  Government,  provided  your  honors,  my  com- 
patriots, and  the  Confederate  Provinces  consider  that  it  may  be 
useful  and  necessary  to  the  national  welfare. 

Consistently  with  my  principles,  my  obligations,  and  mj  repu- 
tation, I  cheerfully  defer  to  the  call  of  the  Republic  in  the  actual 
circumstances,  and  thus  continuing  in  the  supreme  command,  I 
also  will  have  the  signal  honor  of  accompanying  my  beloved  fed- 
eral compatriots,  in  their  heroic  resolution  of  vindicating  the 
national  independence  and  glory,  attacked  by  the  perfidious  Bra- 
zilian Cabinet,  by  the  ruthless,  loathsome  Unitarians,  and  by  the 
despicable  insane  traitor,  the  ruthless  unitarian  Urquiza. 


RETREAT    OF    ORIBE.  243 

In  accordance  with  this  determination,  I  therefore  present 
myself,  in  the  same  manner  as  the  loyal  Argentines,  resolved  to 
fulfil  once  more  my  reiterated  pledge,  of  sacrificing  all  in  defence 
pf  the  order,  the  liberty,  and  the  honor  of  the  Confederation. 

My  fellow-citizens,  who  have  always  found  me  participating 
in  their  difficulties,  will  now  find  me  the  same,  with  sound  and 
robust  health,  and  always  consistent  with  those  principles.  They 
will  see  that,  if  when  the  Kepublic  enjoyed  peace  and  tranquillity, 
I  desired  to  withdraw  from  the  supreme  command,  to  continue 
my  services  in  some  other  subaltern  post,  where  I  might  have 
performed  them  to  advantage,  now  that  new  enemies  of  the  Con- 
federation appear,  and  that  the  loathsome  band  of  the  ruthless 
Unitarians,  headed  by  the  insane  traitor,  ruthless  unitarian 
Urquiza,  dares  to  raise  its  bloody  standard,  here  I  am,  ready  at 
the  call  of  the  nation,  and  with  energy  equal  to  my  duties,  and 
to  the  hopes  of  the  public,  willing  to  contend  in  union  with  the 
virtuous  Argentine  Federals,  till  we  have  left  triumphant  and 
consolidated,  the  independence,  the  rights,  the  dignity,  and  the 
future  fate  of  the  nation. 

This,  Messrs.  Representatives,  is  the  resolution  I  have  adopt- 
ed in  view  of  the  present  events  and  circumstances. 

And  desiring  ere  now  to  transmit  it  to  your  knowledge,  I  had 
the  honor  of  announcing  it  verbally  to  the  Honorable  President, 
and  to  one  of  the  deputy  secretaries  of  your  honorable  Corpora- 
tion, requesting  the  former,  on  reporting  it  to  the  Honorable 
Representatives,  at  the  first  session  they  might  have,  to  reiterate 
to  them  my  profound  gratitude. 

God  preserve  your  honors  for  many  years. 

Juan  Manuel  de  Rosas. 

October  QtJi. — Afi'airs  on  shore  are  rapidly  approaching  a  crisis. 
Oribe,  who  led  his  troops  westward  some  days  ago,  to  meet  the 
advancing  force  of  Urquiza,  has  been  driven  back  into  what  has 
been  so  long  his  besieging  camp ;  and,  cut  off  both  from  the  in- 
terior and  the  river,  he  is  virtually  the  besieged  instead  of  the 


244  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

besieger.  Deserted  already  by  some  of  his  troops,  who  have 
joined  the  advancing  enemy  ;  limited  in  the  supply  of  provisions 
for  those  who  remain ;  and  daily  more  and  more  closely  encircled, 
he  must  speedily  capitulate,  or  fall  in  an  unequal  conflict. 

The  external  aspect  of  the  region  about  the  Mount  is  com- 
pletely changed.  Instead  of  the  utter  desertion  which  has  hith- 
erto marked  it,  without  a  sign  of  man  or  beast  over  its  whole 
extent,  it  now  exhibits  every  where  the  animation  and  activity  of 
a  bee-hive.  A  detachment  of  Urquiza's  cavalry,  in  charge  of 
vast  herds  of  cattle  for  the  subsistence  of  his  army,  has  taken 
possession  of  the  Mount ;  and  their  horses,  tethered  and  grazing, 
are  passing  up  and  down  its  sides,  from  the  beach  to  the  little  for- 
tress on  the  summit,  and  run  straying  about  in  every  direction. 
The  intervening  heights  of  the  country,  are  crested  with 
mounted  videttes,  almost  within  gun-shot  of  the  encampment  and 
batteries  of  Oribe,  as  if  the  force  of  which  they  are  the  advance 
guard  was  already  in  'battle  array ;  presenting,  through  a  glass, 
picturesque  and  striking  objects,  as  they  stand  with  poised  lances 
and  fluttering  pennons,  in  strong  relief  against  the  sky.  It  was 
confidently  expected,  from  the  general  appearance  of  things,  that 
an  assault  would  take  place  last  night;  but  it  passed  without 
any  thing  more  than  a  random  shot  occasionally  from  a  musket, 
and  now  and  then  the  booming  of  a  great  gun. 

During  the  long  siege  of  nine  years,  a  large  town,  numbering 
eight  or  ten  thousand  inhabitants,  has  grown  up  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  encampment  of  Oribe.  It  is  called  "  Restoracion,"  in 
reference  to  the  object  of  this  chieftain — the  restoration  of  him- 
self to  supreme  power,  or  the  restoration,  as  he  may  consider  it, 
of  peace  and  prosperity  to  the  Republic.  It  is  a  port  of  entry, 
with  an  open  roadstead,  called  the  Buceo,  five  miles  east  of  Mon- 
tevideo. The  greatest  consternation  prevailed  there  at  first,  when 
Oribe,  breaking  up  his  encampment,  marched  forth  to  meet  Ur- 
quiza,  with  orders  for  his  whole  force  to  follow  :  leaving  Restora- 
cion entirely  unprotected.  It  was  industriously  rumored  that  the 
departure  of  his  troops  would  be  the  signal  for  an  attack  by  the 


VISIT    TO    THE    MOUNT.  245 

soldiers  of  Montevideo,  with  liberty  from  their  commanding  offi- 
cers of  pillage  and  rapine.  Representations  of  this  were  made 
to  the  various  foreign  squadrons  here,  and  a  vessel  of  war  from 
each  was  despatched  to  the  Bugeo,  to  afford  protection  to  any  of 
the  inhabitants  who  might  seek  an  asylum,  by  flying  to  them. 
The  alarm,  however,  has  in  a  great  degree  subsided,  from  the  re- 
turn of  Oribe,  and  a  proclamation  by  the  Government  of  Monte- 
video, with  orders  under  the  severest  penalties,  against  every  act 
of  aggression  and  violence  by  the  soldiery  in  case  of  the  occupa- 
tion of  the  place  by  them. 

The  Mount  being  now,  for  the  first  time  since  our  arrival  in  the 
Plata,  free  of  access  without  an  apprel^ension  of  risk  or  annoyance 

of  any  kind.  Captain  Mcintosh  gave   Dr.   C and  me  a  row 

in  his  gig  to  visit  it.  It  was  a  great  treat  to  ramble  freely  over 
the  hitherto  forbidden  ground,  and  from  the  summit  to  command, 
at  a  single  glance,  the  topography  of  the  whole  country  for  miles, 
as  if  it  were  a  map  before  us :  all,  too,  robed  in  the  fresh  and  bright 
green  of  the  opening  spring.  The  general  surface  of  the  region 
in  view  here,  as  indeed  throughout  the  republic,  is  a  rolling  prairie. 
Covered  now  with  vast  herds  of  cattle  and  droves  of  horses,  and 
the  rude  encampments  of  the  liberating  army,  in  bivouac  here 
and  there  in  the  distance,  it  reminded  me  much  of  some  of  Cat- 
lin's  pictures,  illustrative  of  scenes  and  scenery  in  the  Buffalo 
and  Indian  regions  of  the  far  West.  Oribe's  encampments  and 
defences,  with  the  town  of  Restoracion  and  its  port,  were  in  dis- 
tinct view  in  the  east,  over  and  beyond  Montevideo.  There  was 
less  appearance  of  immediate  hostilities,  than  on  the  day  previ- 
ous. An  armistice  of  twenty-four  hours  for  negotiation,  had 
been  agreed  upon.  The  videttes  and  reconnoitring  parties  had 
been  withdrawn,  and  the  detachments  of  troops  in  sight  were 
dismounted,  and  lounging  about  among  their  grazing  horses  and 
cattle.  Some  two  or  three  hundred  German  troops,  mercenaries 
in  the  employ  of  Brazil,  who  had  arrived  by  water,  were  on  the 
beach  immediately  beneath  us,  in  entire  readiness  for  marching 
— their  baggage-carts  and  other  appliances  of  war  prepared  for 


246  BKAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

immediate  movement.  They  are  a  fine-looking  corps;  young, 
healthful,  and  fresh,  enlisted  in  Holstein  with  the  expectation  of 
remaining  in  the  country  as  settlers.  The  day  was  bright  and 
beautiful,  and  the  excursion  of  an  hour  or  two,  exceedingly 
pleasant. 

Ocioher  IQth. — The  pacification  hoped  for,  has  actually  taken 
place,  by  the  unconditional  surrender  of  Oribe,  with  his  entire 
force,  amounting  to  some  fifteen  thousand  men  to  Urquiza.  This 
occurred  on  the  8th  inst.,  and  was  oflScially  proclaimed  throughout 
the  city  the  same  evening.  The  ringing  of  all  the  bells  of  the 
place,  the  firing  of  cannon  and  musketry,  the  setting  off  of  rock- 
ets and  the  glaring  of  bonfires,  assured  us  on  board  ship  of  the 
reality.  The  next  morning  the  whole  city  seemed  but  a  floating 
mass  of  flags,  thrown  to  the  breeze  from  every  pinnacle  and  house- 
top, exhibiting  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow,  in  the  devices  of 
every  civilized  banner ;  English,  French,  and  American,  Austri- 
an, Prussian  and  Sardinian,  Peruvian  and  Chilian,  Dutch,  Monte- 
videan  and  Brazilian.  Captain  Mcintosh  took  me  early  on  shore 
with  him.  A  suspension  of  all  business,  and  the  general  holiday 
of  a  week,  had  been  proclaimed  by  the  government;  and  the  peo- 
ple both  within  the  city  and  without,  were  half  mad  with  joy. 
And  well  might  they  be,  after  nine  years  of  non-intercourse — 
those  within,  pent  up  for  that  length  of  time  in  the  narrow  lim- 
its of  their  walls  and  fortified  lines,  and  those  without,  cut  off 
from  all  communication  with  the  town.  The  consequence  has 
been  a  general  rush  of  men,  women  and  children,  from  the  town 
to  the  country,  now  in  all  the  freshness  and  bright  verdure  of 
spring ;  while  the  outsiders,  so  long  excluded,  have  hastened  with 
like  eagerness,  if  not  in  equal  numbers,  to  the  streets  and  squares 
of  the  city.  The  scene  presented  was  one  of  great  and  some- 
times touching  excitement,  in  the  meeting  for  the  first  time  in 
years,  of  those  bound  to  each  other  in  the  closest  ties  of  relation- 
ship. Husbands  and  wives,  parents  and  children,  brothers  and 
sisters,  lovers  and'  friends,  who  had  been  thus  separated,  rushed 
into  each  other's  arms  in  the  open  streets.     An  American  lady 


SCENES   AFTER   THE   PACIFICATION.  247 

told  me  she  could  never  have  imagined  such  a  spectacle ;  and 
could  scarcely  do  any  thing  for  the  day,  but  stand  in  the  balcony 
of  her  house,  alternately  in  laughter  and  in  tears,  at  the  scenes, 
comic  and  tragic,  taking  place  around  her.  The  enjoyment  of  a 
pic-nic  seemed  the  prevailing  passion  of  the  citizens.  Whole  fam- 
ilies were  met  by  us  in  numbers  setting  off  on  foot,  with  baskets 
of  refreshments,  attended,  in  some  instances,  by  servants  bearing 
side-saddles  for  the  ladies ;  horses  being  procurable  outside,  not 
for  the  hire  of  a  day  only,  but  in  full  possession  at  a  price  of 
one  or  two  dollars.  Some  of  the  riders,  we  were  afterwards  told, 
were  placed  in  rather  an  awkward  predicament,  however,  after 
having  proceeded  some  distance  on  their  new  purchases,  by  hav- 
ing the  animals  reclaimed  and  seized  by  their  true  owners,  the 
soldiers  from  whom  they  had  been  bought  having  stolen  them. 

It  is  a  subject  for  devout  thankfulness,  that  thus  far  this  im- 
portant change  has  taken  place  without  an  instance,  so  far  as  is 
nown,  of  violence  or  outrage.  Those,  who,  a  week  ago,  were 
ready  to  cut  each  other's  throats,  are  embracing  as  they  meet,  and 
rejoicing  together,  that  for  the  time  being  at  least,  "  the  sword  is 
turned  into  the  ploughshare,  and  the  spear  into  the  pruning  hook." 
There  are,  however,  among  those  who  have  unconditionally  capit- 
ulated, twenty  or  thirty  oJB&cers  who  are  trembling  for  their  lives. 
One  of  these,  who  is  particularly  obnoxious  to  the  Montevideans, 
as  a  deserter  from  their  service  to  that  of  Oribe,  reached  the 
American  consulate  just  as  we  entered.  Partly  in  disguise,  he 
had  ridden  at  full  speed  through  the  streets,  and  dashing,  without 
dismounting,  through  the  open  portal  into  the  inner  court,  threw 
himself  on  the  mercy  of  the  consul  for  the  protection  of  his  life. 
He  feared  that  to  be  recognized  would  be  but  to  die  by  the 
hands  of  the  first  one  of  the  citizens  who  could  lay  hold  on  him. 
He  is  a  fine-looking  fellow,  and  was  splendidly  mounted,  but  was 
in  a  tremor  of  agitation. 

In  the  course  of  the  morning,  I  took  a  stroll  some  distance 
beyond  the  city  gates,  and  found  abundant  subjects  for  observa- 
tion in  the  endless  variety  of  costume,  colors,  and  character  ex- 


248  BRAZIL    AND    LA   PLATA. 

hibited  by  the  outsiders — civilians  and  soldiers,  men,  women  and 
children,  who  were  thronging  to  the  city  in  great  numbers ;  all, 
of  course,  on  horseback,  for  in  this  country  even  the  beggars  are 
mounted.  In  many  instances,  it  is  true,  two  persons  rode  the 
same  horse ;  in  some  cases  three ;  and  in  one  even  four — a  man 
and  his  wife  with  each  a  child  in  their  arms  :  the  entire  family, 
it  is  probable,  thus  seeking  a  glimpse  of  the  city.  The  most 
amusing  spectacle  of  the  kind  I  noticed,  was  a  cavalier  quite 
dashingly  equipped,  with  a  goodly-sized  live  hog  tied  to  the  saddle 
behind  him,  in  the  manner  of  a  valise  in  travelling.  The  head 
of  the  animal — quietly  submissive  to  his  destiny — ^hung  down  on 
one  side,  and  the  nether  limbs  on  the  other,  while  the  equili: 
brium  of  the  whole  was  preserved  by  a  firm  grasp  of  the  cap- 
tive's tail  in  the  left  hand  of  the  rider ! 


CHAPTER     XXI. 

Montevideo. 

October  ISth. — Yesterday,  in  company  witli  Lieut.  T of 

the  Congress,  and  Mr.Z ,  Consul  for  the  Hanseatic  towns,  I 

made  a  visit  to  Urquiza,  the  chieftain  of  the  Plata,  whose  star  is 
now  so  much  in  the  ascendant.  His  head-quarters  are  at  Panta- 
noso,  where  his  troops  are  encamped  three  leagues  westward  from 
the  city.     By  the  raising  of  the  siege,  horses  are  once  more  to 

be   obtained   in    Montevideo.     Mr.    Z was   nobly  mounted 

upon  the  fine  animal,  on  which  the  ofl&cer  from  the  outside,  men- 
tioned under  the  former  date,  dashed  through  the  portal  of  the 
American  consulate  the  first  day  of  the  pacification.  Mr.  Ham- 
ilton had  succeeded  in  procuring  a  passport  to  Buenos  Ayres  for 
him;  and,  purchasing  his  charger,  made  a  present  of  it  to   Mr. 

Z ,  his  son-in-law.     Lieut.  T and  I  were  provided  with 

animals  at  a  livery  stable,  just  opened,  to  which  we  walked 
to  make  our  choice.  The  keeper,  who,  himself,  acted  as  hostler 
and  groom  for  us,  is  no  less  a  personage  than  an  authenticated 
Austrian  baron,  of  an  old  family  among  the  nobility  of  the 
empire  ;  and  who,  reduced  in  fortune,  is  ashamed  to  beg,  but  not 
thus  to  occupy  himself  for  an  honest  livelihoad,  in  a  foreign  land. 
It  was  from  him  I  now  received  my  first  lesson  in  the  horseman- 
ship of  the  country,  being  instructed  to  guide  my  Bosinante,  not 
by  pulling  the  rein  of  the  bridle  on  the  side  I  wished  to  turn 
11* 


250  BRAZIL    AND    LA   PLATA. 

liim,  as  witli  us,  but  by  keeping  both  reins  of  an  equal  length  in 
the  hand,  and  touching  the  neck  of  the  animal  with  that  opposite 
to  the  direction  he  is  to  go. 

The  weather  was  delightful.  In  the  early  morning  the  sun 
threatened  to  be  hot ;  but  afterwards  a  veil  of  gauze-like  cloud, 
without  shading  too  much  the  brilliancy  of  a  day  like  June  at 
home,  prevented  any  discomfort  from  it.  After  clearing  the  line 
of  the  city  walls,  perceiving  it  to  be  low-water  in  the  bay,  we 
struck  down  from  the  ordinary  road,  to  the  hard  sand  of  the 
beach,  which  sweeps  in  wide  curvature  in  the  direction  of  the 
Mount,  and  dashed  off  on  a  full  gallop  across  it.  Parties  of  na- 
tive horsemen  were  scampering  in  both  directions  over  the  same 
ground,  looking — with  their  ponchos  and  long  hair  streaming  in 
the  wind  behind  them — as  wdld  and  picturesque  as  so  many  Arabs 
of  the  desert. 

At  the  end  of  a  mile  we  turned  up  the  bank  into  the  high- 
way. This  is  wide,  level,  hard  and  dry,  with  hedges  of  aloes  and 
cacti  on  either  side.  There  is  scarcely  a  tree  of  any  kind  to  be 
seen  ;  but  now  and  then  a  fruit  tree,  a  row  of  trim  poplars,  or  a 
clump  of  weeping  willows  just  in  full  leaf,  reminded  us  of  home. 
This  was  especially  the  case  with  the  willows,  the  first  graceful 
wave  of  their  fresh,  long  branches,  setting  me  down  at  once  be- 
neath those  at  Riverside.  The  soil  seemed  to  be  of  great  richness, 
a  black  mould  which  bears  every  growth  in  exuberance.  I  never 
saw  fig  trees  equal  in  height  and  spreading  tops,  to  those  passed 
in  one  enclosure.  Evidences  of  the  long  civil  war  were  every 
where  seen  in  the  ruins  of  houses,  and  in  deserted  grounds ;  but, 
occasionally,  we  came  to  a  quinta  or  country-seat,  still  in  good 
repair,  whose  massive  gateways,  tesselated  courts,  balustraded  ter- 
races, surmounted  by  vases  filled  with  air-plants  and  gay  flowers 
gave  proof  of  the  taste  and  elegance  which  once  characterized 
the  suburban  residences  of  Montevideo. 

We  now  came  upon  an  open  country,  without  hedge  or  enclo- 
sure of  any  kind.  The  whole  surface  was  covered  with  rich  ver- 
dure, brightly  enamelled  by  ten  thousand  flowers  of  every  hue, 


j 

I  ENCAMPMENT    OF    URQUIZA.  251 

and  fragrant  with  the  perfumes  of  spring.  As  we  caracoled 
gently  along,  or,  again,  following  the  custom  of  the  land,  dashed 
forward  at  full  speed,  groups  of  people,  peasants  and  soldiers,  on 
foot  and  on  horseback,  were  passing  and  repassing ;  and  not  unfre- 
quently  clustered  thickly  around  the  dark  and  dirty  entrances  of 
the  pulperias,  or  grog-shops,  which  here,  as  elsewhere  where  man  is, 
are  ever  to  be  found — the  whole  presenting,  in  features  and  in  form, 
in  costume  and  in  colors,  a  constant  study  for  the  sculptor  and 
the  painter. 

The  region  of  country  around  the  bay — along  the  shores  of 
which  we  still  continued — is  well  watered ;  and  we  crossed  two 
or  three  streams  in  the  course  of  our  ride.  As  we  ascended 
from  the  bed  of  one  of  these  to  the  general  levelj  we  came  in  view 
of  another,  along  the  gently  rising  banks  of  which,  on  either  side, 
lay  stretched  in  irregular  detachments  three  or  four  thousand 
troops.  This  encampment,  in  all  its  appointments,  had  a  most 
primitive  and  unscientific  aspect.  The  tents,  such  as  they  were 
— very  much  of  a  gipsy  character — did  not  appear  sufficient  for 
the  shelter,  in  sleeping  and  in  bad  weather,  of  half  the  number  of 
soldiers ;  and  the  whole  equipage  of  the  camp  was  as  rude  as  that 
of  so  many  Indians.  The  predominance  of  scarlet  in  the  color 
of  every  thing  appertaining  to  it,  imparted,  however,  a  gay  and 
brilliant  air  to  the  whole.  A  park  of  artillery,  planted  on  a  gen- 
tle swell  of  ground,  commanded  the  approaches,  and  had  more 
the  appearance  of  modern  warfare  than  any  thing  else  attracting 
the  observation. 

On  inquiring  for  head-quarters,  two  or  three  tents  were 
pointed  out  on  a  knoll,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  rivulet,  quite 
separate  from  the  general  encampment.  A  company  of  lancers 
were  clustered  irregularly  at  no  great  distance  in  the  rear  of 
these — their  long  and  effective-looking  spears,  with  a  scarlet  pen- 
non floating  from  the  top  of  each,  being  staked  in  lines  in  front 
of  them. 

As  we  approached,  we  perceived  the  marquee  of  the  com- 
mander-in-chief to  be  distinguished  from  the  rest,  by  broad  stripes 


252  BRAZIL    AND    LA    PLATA. 

of  white  and  blue,  and  by  the  artistic  manner  in  which  it  was 
pitched.  Behind  it  stood  an  immense  vehicle,  more  massive  and 
ponderous  in  its  structure  than  the  heaviest  omnibus  ever  seen  at 
home — the  travelling  carriage  of  his  excellency,  evidently  fitted 
for  hard  service,  by  such  bracings  with  raw-hide  ropes  about  the 
springs,  whipple-trees  and  axles,  and  such  bindings  of  green  hide 
around  the  hubs  and  spokes  and  wheel-tires,  as  woiild  create  a 
sensation  in  a  civilized  country.  Near  by,  stood  a  gigantic  cart 
with  wattled  sides,  and  a  roof  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  in  height : 
the  baggage-wagon,  doubtless,  for  the  jieedful  provender  of  the 
general-in-chief  and  suite. 

When  we  drew  up,  we  wel-e  approached  by  a  noble-looking  adju- 
tant, tall  and  stalwart,  with  boots  to  his  hips,  a  steel-scabbarded 
sword,  which  might  have  served  for  a  Goliath,  and  spurs  of  mas- 
sive silver,  that — in  want  of  marbled  pavement  or  planked  floor 
for  the  efifect — caused  the  very  ground  beneath  him  to  rattle.  My 
companions,  having  made  known  their  official  character  and  our 
nationality,  and  the  desire  of  paying  our  respects  personally  to  the 
chieftain,  we  were  politely  requested  to  dismount,  our  horses  de- 
livered to  the  charge  of  the  guard,  and  our  cards  taken,  prepara- 
tory to  an  announcement.  Immediately  on  the  presentation  of 
our  names,  we  were  conducted  to  the  front  of  the  tent  and  ush- 
ered into  the  presence  of  the  general.  He  rose  to  receive  us 
with  courteous  salutations,  and  a  cordial  shake  of  the  hand.  The 
tent  was  small,  but  exceedingly  neat.  Its  poles  were  bamboo, 
that  in  the  centre  which  raised  the  canvas  to  a  peak,  being  sur- 
rounded by  a  square  camp  table,  on  which  lay  a  round  black  hat 
with  the  scarlet  band  of  the  confederation,  a  pair  of  black  kid 
gloves,  a  riding-whip,  and  a  magnificent  bouquet  of  fresh  flowers 
— a  propitiatory  gift,  probably,  from  some  fair  hand  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. Three  tent  bedsteads — one  on  either  side  and  one  at 
the  farther  end — one  or  two  camp  stools,  and  a  square  of  ingrain 
carpet  on  the  grass,  constituted  the  furniture. 

We  became  seated  on  the  bedsteads  at  the  sides,  while  Ur<j[ii!za 
took  a  position  by  the  table  in  the  centre.     He  was  in  a  military 


PERSONAL    APPEARANCE    OF    URQUIZA.  253 

dress  coat  of  blue,  the  collar  and  cuffs  being  handsomely  decorated 
with  embroideries  in  gold  of  the  oak  leaf  and  acorn.  A  waist- 
coat of  scarlet  damask,  pantaloons  of  blue  with  a  red  stripe  down 
the  seams,  and  well  polished  boots,  completed  his  costume.  He  is 
of  moderate  height,  but  stout,  broad-chested,  and  finely  formed, 
and  has  a  Spanish  roundness  of  face  and  limb.  He  was  smoothly 
shaved,  and  without  the  moustache  usually  worn  here,  both  by 
military  men,  and  by  the  people  in  general.  In  feature,  he  is 
decidedly  handsome,  with  fine  mouth  and  teeth,  large,  dark  eyes 
full  of  vivacity,  and  a  complexion  clear  and  glowing  with  manly 
health,  but  bronzed  by  exposure. 

His  expression  is  open  and  frank — one  that  a  physiognomist 
would  trust  for  honesty  and  magnanimity ;  and  his  manners  and 
address  courteous  and  gentlemanly,  without  being  courtier-like  or 
artificial.  I  know  not  when  I  have  been  more  favorably  im- 
pressed on  a  first  interview,  with  any  one,  either  in  public  or 
private  life.  Personally,  he  is  evidently  one  to  be  admired  ;  and, 
if  his  character,  morally  and  intellectually,  is  at  all  in  harmony 
with  his  physical  advantages,  I  can  readily  perceive  how  the 
popularity  he  has  already  won,  in  the  part  he  is  now  acting,  may 

^^un  into  enthusiasm.  He  must  be  nearly  fifty  years  of  age  ;  but, 
were  it  not  for  the  thinness  of  his  hair  on  the  top  of  the  head,  I 
should  say  he  was  not  more  than  forty. 

A  favorite  mastiff,  a  noble-looking  animal,  lay  stretched  at 

H>  his  ease  on  the  carpet,  and  attracting  our  notice  became  the  first 

^■rsubject  of  our  conversation.    He  originally  belonged  to  another  offi- 

^B'Ger  ;  but,  on  meeting  Urquiza,  left  his  master  and  attached  himself 

^Bto  him  with  a  pertinacity  which  resisted  every  attempt  to  drive 

^Hliim  away.     He  has  constituted  himself  the  especial  guardian  of 

^wbis  person,  and  has  for  years  been  his  companion,  night  and  day. 

^BSeveral  remarkable  anecdotes,  of  feats  in  the  camp  and  on  the 

^■battle-field,  told  of  him,  paved  the  way  for  a  free  and  animated 

conversation  on  more  important  topics — embracing  the  present 

state  of  affairs  in  the  Eepublics  of  the  Plata — the  results  thus 

far,  of  Urquiza's  own  movements  as  a  liberator,  and  purposes 


254  BRAZIL    AND    LA    PLATA. 

designed  by  him,  yet  unachieved.  "  It  is  time,"  he  justly  re- 
marked, "  that  the  contracted  and  narrow-minded  policy,  dictated 
by  the  selfish  views  of  the  rulers  of  the  Plata,  should  be  made  to 
give  way  to  measures  more  in  unison  with  the  spirit  of  the  age ; 
and  that  the  wide  rivers  and  rich  plains  of  these  magnificent 
countries,  should  be  thrown  open  to  the  commerce,  and  be  made 
free  to  the  immigration  of  people  from  all  nations." 

The  hope  was  expressed,  that  when  he  should  reach  Monte- 
video— where  it  was  taken  for  granted  he  would  make  a  public 
entry — he  would  visit  the  Congress;  but,  before  the  word  Monte- 
video was  well  uttered,  he  hastily  interrupted  the  sentence  by 
exclaiming,  "Montevideo! — No — no,  I  shall  not  go  to  Monte- 
video !  "  He,  it  seems,  studiously  avoids  every  appearance  of 
courting  popularity,  and  of  making  a  display  of  himself  unneces- 
sarily ;  averring  that  the  only  object  for  which  he  comes  into  the 
country,  is  to  free  the  Montevideans  from  the  thraldom  of  the 
tyranny  by  which  they  have  so  long  suffered.  Having  accom- 
plished this,  he  says  he  has  nothing  further  to  ask  or  desire,  ex- 
cept that  they  may  be  prosperous  and  happy,  united  and  free. 
The  early  career  of  Urquiza  as  a  partisan  of  Kosas,  and  as  the 
victor  over  the  Montevideans  themselves,  in  the  beginning  of  the 
invasion  by  the  Argentines,  is  said  to  have  been  as  bloodthirsty 
and  cruel  as  that  of  any  of  his  compeers,  in  the  civil  contentions 
of  the  States  of  the  Plata.  But  great  apparent  humanity,  as 
well  as  consummate  policy,  has  thus  far  marked  all  his  pres- 
ent measures  and  movements.  In  the  beginning  of  his  march 
against  Oribe,  he  proclaimed  the  anxiety  he  felt  to  prevent  all 
effusion  of  blood  ;  that  he  came  as  a  friend,  not  as  a  foe  ;  that  his 
mission  was  one  of  peace  and  of  patriotism  in  a  common  cause. 
The  consequence  of  this  annunciation  in  advance,  was  a  general 
gathering  to  his  standard  in  his  progress,  and  the  desertion  to 
him,  at  every  opportunity,  of  whole  detachments  of  the  troops  sent 
to  oppose  him.  On  expressing  the  surprise  which  we  felt  at 
being  told  by  him,  that  the  thousands  of  soldiers  immediately 
around,  and  constituting  his  only  gua.rd,  were  exclusively  those 


I 


HIS    FAMILY    KELATIONS.  255 

who,  but  a  few  days  before,  had  laid  down  their  arms  to  him,  and, 
who  till  then  were  commissioned  to  cut  his  throat — he  said — 
"  We  are  all  brothers  now — one  people  and  one  blood  :  it  only  re- 
mains for  us  to  free  our  common  country  from  a  common  tyrant," 
referring  of  course  to  Rosas.  The  nearest  detachment  of  the 
troops  brought  with  him  from  Entre-E,ios  was  quite  two  miles 
distant. 

At  the  end  of  a  half  hour,  we  took  leave,  greatly  interested 
in  all  we  had  seen  and  heard  during  the  interview.  As  a  rigid 
moralist,  I  am  bound  perhaps  to  qualify,  in  a  degree,  my  admira- 
tion of  this  chieftain,  from  the  knowledge  I  have  gained  of  some 
of  the  particulars  of  his  private  history.  An  inquiry  made  by 
one  of  our  party,  led  the  General  to  say,  that  though  he  had  no 
wife  living  he  had  a  large  family ;  and  that  the  mother  of  some 
of  his  children,  having  recently  died,  he  regarded  himself  as  a 
widower.  The  truth  is,  he  has  never  been  married.  It  is  by  no 
means  unusual  for  persons  here  to  live  long  together  without  the 
marriage-tie,  and  often  with  entire  fidelity  to  each  other.  It  is  to 
a  relation  of  this  kind  he  referred,  and  in  which  he  had  a  numer- 
ous family  born  to  him  ;  but  he  admits  the  claims  of  paternity  in 
a  large  number  besides ;  and  so  justly,  it  is  said,  that  the  title 
of  the  novel,  "  A  child  of  thirty-six  fathers,"  may  with  a  slight 
transposition,  be  applied  with  literal  truthfulness  to  him,  as 
"  The  father  of  thirty-six  children" — the  exact  number,  I  am 
told,  of  his  acknowledged  offspring.  So  much  for  this  chieftain 
for  the  present ;  we  shall  doubtless  hear  much  of  him,  and  per- 
haps meet  him  again,  before  taking  a  final  leave  of  the  Plata. 

Oribe  has  been  permitted,  since  the  capitulation,  to  retire  on 
parole  to  his  country-seat,  situated  on  the  shore  of  the  bay,  in  the 

neighborhood  of  his  former  encampment.     Lieut  T and  I,  as 

neutrals  in  the  partisan  conflicts  of  the  country,  felt  some  dis- 
position to  call  upon  him  in  his  reverse  of  fortune ;    but  the 

antipathies  of  Mr.  Z ,  arising  from  a  knowledge  of  his  history 

and  character,  and  the  long  endurance  of  evil  by  the  Montevideans 
at  his  hands,  would  not  permit  him  to  join  us  in  a  visit  of  the 


256  BRAZIL   AND   LA    PLATA. 

kind.  As  condolence  under  capitulation  and  overthrow  would 
have  been  more  difficult  to  present  acceptably,  than  the  felicitations 
we  had  just  addressed  to  the  fortunate  rival,  we  did  well,  perhaps,^ 
to  content  ourselves  with  the  view  in  the  distance  of  the  white 
walls  of  his  dwelling,  in  the  midst  of  extensive  plantations  of 
poplar  and  willow.  If  all  that  is  said  of  his  past  acts  of  cruelty 
be  true,  he  well  merits  the  reverse  he  has  suffered,  and  the  con- 
tempt into  which  he  has  fallen. 

The  ride,  on  our  return,  was  constantly  enlivened  as  before, 
by  passers  by,  both  on  foot  and  on  horseback,  forming  a  great 
variety  of  groupings,  and  an  endless  diversity  of  costume.  One 
common  mode  of  transporting  burdens  was  of  a  most  primitive 
kind  :  a  hide  spread  on  the  ground,  and  attached  to  the  saddle  or 
person  of  the  horseman  by  a  long  leathern  rope.  Whatever  was 
to  be  carried  was  piled  upon  and  made  fast  to  this  simple  sledge, 
and  thus  dragged  along. 

At  the  end  of  a  couple  of  miles  from  the  head-quarters  at 
Pantanoso,  we  turned  inland  for  a  short  distance  from  the  direct 
road,  to  inspect  the  fort  of  the  "  Cerrito"  or  little  hill,  so  recently 
evacuated  by  Oribe.  The  rise  of  ground  to  it  is  very  gentle 
on  every  side,  and  the  central  point  of  elevation  two  hundred  and 
fifty  or  three  hundred  feet  only,  above  the  level  of  the  bay.  The 
little  fort  cresting  the  apex  is  abandoned,  except  by  a  single 
keeper.  It  is  old  and  dilapidated ;  and  defective  in  its  original 
construction,  in  the  leading  principles  of  modern  engineering.  It 
appeared  incapable  of  standing  a  salute  by  its  own  guns,  much 
less  the  fire  of  artillery  in  an  attack.  The  view  from  the  parapets 
is  extensive  in  all  directions ;  and,  in  the  freshness  and  verdure 
of  the  spring,  peculiarly  beautiful.  It  embraces  a  fine  inland 
view,  the  Mount,  the  bay  and  shipping ;  the  massive  walls  and 
towers  of  Montevideo ;  and  the  new  town  of  Restoracion.  At 
the  base  of  the  hill  on  the  east,  lay,  in  a  quadrangular  village,  the 
little  huts  of  mud,  thatched  with  grass,  which  have  for  years  been 
the  quarters  of  the  besieging  soldiery.     They  must  have  been 


TOWN    OF    RESTOKACION.  257 

wretched  enough  in  appearance  at  any  time  ;  but  are  doubly  so,  in 
their  present  state  of  desertion  and  half  demolition. 

The  ride  of  a  mile  from  this  cantonment  brought  us  to  Eestora- 
cion.  This,  till  the  capitulation,  was  quite  a  thriving  place,  having 
attracted,  by  its  port  of  entry  at  the  Buqeo,  the  little  produce  the 
country,  in  its  devastated  condition,  could  furnish  for  exportation. 
But  its  vocation  is  now  gone.  The  port  is  already  closed  by 
decree  of  the  government,  and  the  decline  of  Restoracion  will  be 
even  more  rapid  than  its  rise.  All  business  will  necessarily  flow 
into  its  old  channels  in  the  city ;  and  the  new  town,  at  best,  be 
only  an  impoverished  suburb  of  the  old. 

It  is  well  laid  out :  its  streets  very  wide,  regular,  and  well 
built.  Its  chief  architectural  feature  is  a  very  fine  structure :  a 
spacious  quadrangle,  enclosing  double  courts,  and  ornamented  by 
a  lofty  tower.  It  is  called  "  the  college  ;"  and  was  designed  by 
Oribe  for  an  institution  of  learning,  but  appears  thus  far  to  have 
been  used  only  as  a  town  hall,  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
municipal  officers  and  the  police. 

This  brings  me  to  the  comical  part  of  our  excursion.  Having 
dismounted  for  the  observation  of  the  place  on  foot,  the  in- 
spection of  the  building  just  mentioned,  and  of  a  new  church  of 
some  merit  in  its  architecture,  we  again  took  horse  to  meet  an 
appointment  for  dinner  in  Montevideo,  three  miles  distant. 
We  had  scarcely  reached  the  centre  of  the  town,  however,  before 
my  horse  came  suddenly  to  a  dead  stand.  He  had  travelled 
beautifully  all  the  morning,  without  the  slightest  evidence  of  a 
stubborn  or  vicious  disposition,  or  any  bad  habit.  It  was  in 
vain,  however,  that  I  now  urged  him  forward.  All  the  effect  of 
doing  so  was  to  cause  him  to  turn  abruptly  to  the  one  side  or  the 
other,  or  completely  around ;  and,  when  I  resorted  to  the  whip 
and  spur,  neither  of  which  had  before  been  required,  he  dashed 
upon  the  sidewalk  to  the  right  or  to  the  left,  and  rushed  head- 
foremost into  the  shop-doors  and  windows,  putting  men,  women, 
and  children  to  flight  in  every  direction.  Of  the  crowd  of  boys 
soon  gathered  near,  I  heard  some,  by  way  of  commiseration, 


258  BRAZIL    AND    LA    PLATA. 

• 

exclaim,  "  What  a  wicked  horse !  "  others  less  courteous,  and 
with  knowing  looks  as  to  the  merits  of  the  case,  "  What  a  poor 
rider  !  "  till  Lt.  T ,  a  Virginia  cavalier,  insisted  on  an  ex- 
change of  animals.  This  we  made,  but  without  securing  a  better 
issue.  The  horse  he  had  ridden  behaved  in  the  same  manner, 
or  when  started,  persisted  in  dashing  round  the  first  corner  come 
to,  and  in  rushing  into  the  first  enclosure  or  stable-yard  open  to 
him.  I  kept  him  going,  however,  from  point  to  point,  as  best  I 
could — first  down  one  street  and  then  up  another;  around  this 
corner  and  around  that — with  my  friends  in  full  gallop  behind, 
till  all  three  were  brought  to  a  stand  by  getting  between  two 
walls,  which  formed  a  kind  of  cul  de  sac.  By  this  time  we  had 
fairly  roused  the  whole  place,  without  gaining  the  advance  of  a 

rod  towards  Montevideo,  and  Mr.  Z proposed  that  I  should 

make  the  further  trial  of  his  horse.  The  excitement  of  the  chase 
after  me,  the  hurraing  of  the  boys,  the  shrieks  of  the  women,  and 
the  general  tumult,  had  fired  the  spirit  of  this  fine  animal,  and 
the  moment  I  had  gained  the  saddle,  headed  in  the  direction  we 
wished  to  go,  he  started  at  full  speed  through  the  principal  street, 
while — 

"  The  dogs  did  bark,  the  children  screamed, 
Up  flew  the  windows  all ; 
And  every  soul  cried  out  '  Well  done  ! ' 
As  loud  as  he  could  bawl." 

Finding  myself  thus  well  started,  I  was  determined  to  allow 
my  steed  no  chance  of  a  halt  in  the  gait  he  had  chosen,  at  least 
till  well  in  sight  of  the  city,  and  kept  him  on  the  full  spring. 
My  friends  were  in  close  pursuit;  and  the  nearer  they  came 
the  faster  I  fled,  till  we  well-nigh  fell  from  our  horses  in  con- 
vulsions of  laughter,  at  the  Gilpin-like  appearance  of  the  chase. 
Had  I  worn  hat  and  wig,  I  should  have  lost  them ;  and,  as  it 
was,  doubtless  presented  a  comical  sight,  in  my  efibrts  at  once  to 
retain  my  seat  in  the  saddle,  and  to  keep  a  naval  cap  on  my 
head,  and  the  spectacles  on  my  nose.     All  the  amusement,  how- 


GUACHO    SOLDIERS   IN    CAMP.  259 

ever,  did  not  centre  on  me.     Mr.  Z is  immensely  tall  and 

slender.  The  stirrups  of  the  saddle  exchanged  with  me  for  his 
own,  were  too  short  for  him  by  at  least  a  half  length.  He  had 
not  altered  them ;  and  in  sitting  on  the  horse,  his  knees  were 
brought  well  up  to  his  chin,  making  him,  at  the  rate  we  were 
riding,  far  from  the  least  comical  figure  of  the  party. 

The  cause  of  this  incident  in  our  adventures  was  ascertained 
to  be  the  fact  that,  till  the  day  previous,  the  only  home  of  the 

two  horses  ridden  by  Lt.  T and  me,  had  been  at  Restora- 

cion ;  and,  on  reaching  their  old  haunts,  they  had  no  will,  after 
a  ride  of  fifteen  miles,  to  leave  them  ngain,  even  for  the  more 
dignified  quarters  of  the  Baron,  their  new  master  in  the  city. 

October  22c?. — For  two  or  three  days  past,  the  troops  of 
Urquiza,  in  detachment  after  detachment,  have  been  thickly 
clustering  around  the  base  and  on  the  sides  of  the  Mount — like 
the  settling  of  flocks  of  pigeons  on  the  ground,  in  the  migrating 
season  at  home.  The  whole  region  in  sight  from  our  ship  is  now 
little  else  than  a  tented  field,  so  covered  with  figures  in  glaring 
red  as  to  remind  me  vividly,  by  the  brilliant  coloring  thus  thrown 
over  the  landscape,  of  the  fields  of  scarlet  poppies  I  have  seen 
in  some  parts  of  Europe,  The  nearest  of  these  encampments  is 
by  the  water's  edge,  within  a  couple  of  miles  of  our  anchorage. 

Yesterday  morning  Captain  Mcintosh  invited  Dr.    C and 

myself,  to  accompany  him  and  Captain  Corey  of  the  "  South- 
ampton "  in  a  visit  to  it.  The  morning  was  beautiful  in  weather, 
and  the  x)pportunity  for  observation  exceedingly  interesting. 

We  landed  at  a  point  where,  at  the  commencement  of  the 
civil  war,  there  had  been  an  extensive  manufactory  connected  with 
the  staple  productions  of  the  Republic — hides  and  tallow.  Every 
thing  here  bore  evidences  of  the  devastation  which  has  swept  over 
the  whole  country  in  its  industrial  pursuits  :  roofless  buildings 
and  crumbling  walls,  uprooted  pavements,  overthrown  furnaces, 
and  rust-eaten  boilers.  Some  of  the  stone  enclosures  still  stand- 
ing, presented  a  common  but  singular  sight,  in  a  capping,  twelve 
or  eighteen  inches  in  depth,  formed  of  the  horns  and  the  frontal 


260  BRAZIL  AND  LA  PLATA, 

bones  of  cattle,  so  arranged  and  interlocked,  as  to  produce,  in 
their  regularity,  and  in  the  whiteness  into  which  the  whole  is 
bleached  by  the  weather,  quite  a  striking  and  picturesque  effect — 
as  suggestive  of  taste  and  beauty  in  fence  building,  as  the  droop- 
ing leaves  of  the  acanthus  are  said  to  have  been  in  the  finish  of 
the  Corinthian  column.  Beyond  the  curving  sand-beach  of  a 
little  cove,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  this  landing,  the  nearest 
encampment  was  spread  over  the  bright  verdure  of  a  gently 
swelling  knoll.  The  scene  presented  by  it  was  novel,  and 
strikingly  picturesque.  The  snowy  whiteness  of  the  tents ;  the 
bright  green  of  the  grass;  and  the  glowing  red  of  the  caps, 
mantles,  and  chiripas,  or  swaddling  blankets,  worn  in  place  of 
trowsers  by  the  soldiers,  were  brought  out  in  brilliant  contrast 
by  the  morning's  sun;  while  the  pennons  of  scarlet,  fluttering 
from  the  tops  of  the  lances,  stuck  in  long  lines  and  in  thick 
clusters  over  the  ground,  gave  an  air  of  lively  animation  to  the 
whole. 

No  check  was  placed  on  our  movements,  nor  on  the  scrutiny  of 
such  observations  as  we  chose  to  make.  The  uniforms  of  my  com- 
panions led  to  constant  military  salutes  from  such  as  recognized 
their  presence;  and  we  were  treated  with  unvarying  civility. 
"We  were  much  struck  with  the  physical  aspect  of  these  troops. 
They  are  an  uncommonly  fine  race ;  large,  muscular,  and  athletic  : 
a  powerful  set  of  men,  whom — perfect  centaurs  as  they  are  on 
horseback — it  would  be  a  fearful  thing  to  meet  as  lancers  on  full 
charge  in  battle.  They  are  very  dark  and  Indian-like,  in  com- 
plexion ;  their  faces  covered  with  bushy  whiskers  and  mustaches, 
and  their  long,  black,  uncombed  hair  flowing  in  the  freedom 
of  nature  over  their  shoulders.  Occupied  in  all  the  various 
employments  of  semi-civilized  soldiery  in  camp,  they  furnished, 
individually  and  in  groups,  studies  of  which  an  artist  would  have 
rejoiced  to  avail  himself  Some  splitting  billets  of  wood  for 
cooking,  some  roasting  meat,  and  some  eating  it  at  their  fires ; 
some  washing  their  clothes  in  a  rivulet,  just  by,  and  some 
bringing  water  from  a  spring ;    a  few  were  lounging  on  the  grass 


I 


THEIR    PASTIME    AND    SUBSISTENCE.  261 

in  conversation,  and  a  few  walking  listlessly  about;  but  the 
greater  number — nine  out  of  ten — were  gambling  with  cards. 
Seated  in  numbers,  from  four  to  seven,  around  a  poncho  spread  on 
the  grass,  with  the  money  at  stake  upon  it,  they  shuffled,  dealt, 
and  played,  while  groups  of  double  the  numbers,  standing  around 
and  over  them,  threw  down  their  dollars  at  hazard,  and  wait- 
ed the  issue  of  the  game.  So  entirely  were  the  players  and 
betters  absorbed  in  their  games,  that  they  took  no  notice  whatever 
of  us  as  strangers,  nor  of  any  thing  occurring  around  them.  The 
importance  of  the  political  struggle  now  commenced,  insures 
good  payment  to  the  troops.  A  large  distribution  of  cash  has 
recently  been  made,  and  the  soldiers  seem  very  flush  in  pocket, 
and  very  free  in  the  disposal  of  their  funds.  Card-playing  is  a 
chief  amusement,  and  gambling  a  ruling  passion  among  all  classes 
of  the  people. 

The  subsistence  of  the  soldiers  consists  solely  of  fresh  beef : 
eaten  without  bread,  or  vegetables,  or  even  salt.  Morning,  noon, 
and  night,  beef,  and  beef  alone,  furnishes  their  repast.  The 
manner  of  cooking  it  is  this.  A  small  circular  hole,  three  or 
four  inches  in  depth,  is  made  in  the  ground,  and  a  fire  kindled  in 
it.  A  long,  slender  stick  or  wooden  skewer,  sharpened  to  a  point 
at  both  ends,  is  run  through  a  piece  of  meat,  and  one  end  of  the 
stick  so  fastened  in  the  ground  on  one  side  of  the  hole,  that  the 
meat  hangs  at  a  low  angle  over  the  flame  and  coals  of  the  fire. 
The  outside  thus  soon  becomes  scorched  and  burnt,  and  in  a  few 
minutes,  one  of  the  mess  removes  it  from  the  fire,  by  taking  hold 
of  the  upper  end  of  the  stick  with  the  left  hand,  while  his  ever- 
ready  knife  is  in  the  right.  Seizing  the  meat  with  his  teeth,  as  he 
holds  it  up  before  him,  he  cuts  off  a  mouthful  by  a  single  quick 
stroke  of  his  knife,  and  passed  the  skewer  and  its  burden  to  his 
next  messmate.  Each  of  the  group  thus  in  turn  takes  his  share 
of  the  part  roasted.  That  which  remains  raw  is  again  placed 
over  the  fire,  and  a  similar  process  gone  through  with,  till  the 
hungry  are  all  satisfied,  or  the  supply  consumed.  We  were  very 
courteously  invited  by  one  group,  to  take  seats  upon  the  sheep- 


262  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

skins  spread  for  them,  and  to  partake  of  their  primitive  meal ;  but 
excused  ourselves  from  accepting  such  kind  hospitality,  by  the 
plea  of  a  want  of  appetite. 

The  encampment  stretched-,  in  greater  or  less  regularity  and 
compactness,^  from  the  point  at  which  we  were,  three  miles  and 
more  northward,  to  the  head-quarters  of  the  commander-in-chief; 
and  from  thence  again  westward  by  the  banks  of  a  stream,  the 
like  distance  around  the  Mount  to  the  Plata.  The  inspection  of 
one  portion  gave  us  the  characteristic  and  leading  features  of  the 
whole ;  and,  after  an  hour's  stroll  through  the  nearer  sections,  we 
ascended  the  Mount,  to  enjoy  from  the  ramparts  of  the  fortress, 
the  wide  landscape  they  command  under  its  new  aspects  of  ani- 
mated life.  This  was  exceedingly  picturesque  in  the  varied  dis- 
play of  so  large  a  force  in  camp  and  bivouac.  The  smoke  of 
fires,  in  preparation  for  the  noonday  meal,  rose  in  pearly  columns 
on  every  side ;  and  thousands  of  tethered  horses,  and  unnumbered 
herds  of  cattle  were  grazing  every  where  over  the  rich  plains. 

Immediately  beneath  the  walls  of  the  fort,  on  the  northern 
side,  within  stone's  throw  beneath  us,  is  a  corral — an  enclosure 
for  the  keeping  of  cattle,  surrounded  by  high  walls,  with  a  barred 
entrance  at  one  corner.  It  was  now  filled  with  hundreds  of  fine 
animals.  As  we  stood  looking  down  upon  this,  three  horsemen, 
followed  by  three  men  on  foot,  entered  it ;  and  we  unexpectedly 
became  witnesses  of  the  manner  of  butchering  an  animal  here, 
wli£ther  taken  wild  on  the  open  prairie,  or,  as  at  present,  penned 
up  in  a  corral.  The  uses  of  the  lasso  and  holas^  and  the  dexterity 
of  the  South  Americans  in  the  management  of  them,  are  familiar 
to  every  school-boy.  It  was  with  the  lasso  the  horsemen  now 
operated.  The  animal  designated  for  slaughter,  was,  in  a  few 
moments,  artfully  detached  from  the  general  herd,  and  made 
captive  by  the  horns,  with  the  unerring  lasso,  thrown  at  the  same 
moment  by  two  of  the  horsemen — the  third  having  as  readily 
entangled  him  by  the  hind  legs  as  he  ran.  The  three  horses 
trained  to  the  business,  the  moment  the  lassos  were  thrown,  braced 
themselves  firmly  by  their  forefeet  against  the  ground,  bringing 


MODE    OF    SLAUGHTERING   CATTLE.  263 

the  lassos  perfectly  '  taut '  in  three  different  directions,  and  thus 
holding  the  beast  as  unmovable,  as  if  staked  by  the  head  and 
heels.  As  he  became  thus  fixed,  with  his  hind  legs  drawn  closely 
together,  one  of  the  men  on  foot  sprang  quickly  behind  him,  and 
by  a  single  sweep  of  his  long  and  murderous  knife,  severed  the 
hamstrings  of  both  legs,  bringing  the  hinder  part  of  the  animal 
to  the  ground,  as  if  by  a  stroke  of  lightning.  He  still  stood  on 
his  fore  legs ;  but,  in  as  quick  time  almost,  the  butcher  was  at  his 
head,  and  by  one  plunge  of  the  same  instrument,  sent  his  heart's 
blood  gushing  over  the  ground,  and  the  fore  legs  staggering,  gave 
way.  By  a  skilful  movement  of  the  lassos  by  the  horsemen  he 
was  jerked  on  his  side  as  he  fell,  and  the  men  on  foot,  seating 
themselves  upon  the  quivering,  and  still  living  carcass,  at  once 
commenced  their  incisions,  and  the  dissection  of  the  skin.  The 
whole  process  of  this  catching,  killing,  flaying  and  cutting  up  an 
animal,  is  often  the  work  of  less  than  ten  minutes.  The  spectacle 
is  barbarous  and  disgusting;  yet  the  saledaros,  or  general 
slaughter-houses,  are  often  visited  by  foreigners,  for  the  purpose 
of  witnessing  it,  as  a  matter  of  curiosity. 

October  24:th. — Early  in  September,  Commodore  McKeever 
was  called  to  Buenos  Ayres  by  official  duty.  He  made  the 
passage  in  the  U.  S.  sloop  Jamestown,  to  which  his  flag  was  trans- 
ferred, and  returned  on  the  22d  in  the  American  propeller 
"  Manuelita  de  Bosas,"  now  running  as  a  packet  between  Buenos 
Ayres  and  Montevideo.  Mr.  Harris^  late  charge  d'afiaires, 
on  his  way  to  the  United  States  accompanied  him ;  and  it  is 
officially  announced,  that  the  Congress  will  sail  immediately  for 
Bio  de  Janeiro,  to  carry  him  that  far  on  his  passage  home. 

The  visit  to  Urquiza,  and  the  stroll  through  the  camp  of  his 
followers,  it  will  thus  be  seen,  were  made  in  fortunate  time.  Had 
they  been  delayed  longer,  I  should  have  had  no  opportunity  for 
the  observations  they  afforded.  We  are  to  return  to  the  Plata  ; 
but  not  till  the  successful  revolutionist  and  his  troops  will  long 
have  left  the  neighborhood  of  Montevideo.  On  the  22d  he  issued 
a  proclamation  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  republic.    I  like  its  style 


264  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

and  spirit  much.  In  it  he  has  thrown  aside  the  accustomed 
verbosity  and  grandiloquence,  characteristic  of  the  state  papers 
of  this  section  of  the  world,  and  the  barbarous  vituperations  of 
partisanship ;  and  avows  his  principles  and  purposes  in  a  manly 
and  patriotic  manner.  I  close  this  section  of  my  record  with  a 
hasty  translation. 

"  The  Governor  and  Captain-general  of  the  Pro^vince  of 
Entre-Rios,  General  and  Chief  of  its  army,  and  General  of  the 
vanguard  of  the  allied  armies  of  operation,  to  the  inhabitants  of 
the  oriental  Republic  of  Uruguay  : 

"  Orientals  !  I  promised  to  fight  for  your  liberty  and  national 
independence,  and  I  have  fulfilled  my  word.  The  chains  with 
which  the  tyrant  of  my  country  enslaved  you  are  rent  in  pieces. 
It  only  remains  for  me  to  break  those  which  bind  the  unhappy 
people  of  Buenos  Ayres,  where  a  hateful  rule  still  oppresses  the 
Argentines.     For  this  the  soldiers  of  liberty  must  still  combat. 

"  I  am  about  to  leave  you,  but  wherever  destiny  may  carry 
me — whether  to  the  field  of  battle,  to  the  quietude  of  private 
life,  or  to  the  guardianship  of  the  tranquillity  and  glory  of  my 
country,  I  shall  ever  pray  for  your  prosperity,  and  for  the  per- 
petuity of  those  blessings  which  I  have  recovered  for  you,  after 
the  long  and  disastrous  struggle  which  has  desolated  the  rich 
plains  of  your  country,  and  crimsoned  them  with  the  blood  of 
your  brothers.  These  precious  blessings  are  your  liberty  and 
your  independence. 

"  Orientals  !  Be  free,  by  submitting  yourselves  to  the  author- 
ity of  that  citizen  whom  constitutional  sufi"rage  shall  elevate  to 
the  chair  of  the  chief  magistracy,  and  by  upholding  the  laws 
which  protect  the  lives  and  property  of  the  people.  Be  inde- 
pendent by  living  unitedly  beneath  the  glorious  banner,  which  is 
the  symbol  of  your  nationality,  that  other  governments  observing 
it  may  respect  you ;  and  that  you  may  merit  the  admiration  of 
those  who  have  sworn  to  exterminate  a  bloody  tyranny,  and  firmly 
to  establish  an  empire  of  liberty  and  law,  in  the  Republics  of  the 
Plata. 


PROCLAMATION  OF  URQUIZA.  265 

"  Orientals  !  In  union  is  strength  ;  in  peace  prosperity ;  and 
in  the  oblivion  of  civil  discord  and  the  exercise  of  republican 
virtues,  the  happiness  of  your  children  and  the  perpetuity  of  your 
national  institutions. 

"  Orientals  !  Union,  peace,  and  fraternity  among  all,  is  the 
charge  to  you  from  him  who  has  the  glory  of  having  contributed 
to  the  restoration  of  your  liberty  and  independence. 

"  JusTO  Juan  Urquiza. 
"  Head-Quarters  of  Pantanoso,  October  21st,  1851." 

Thus  closes  the  first  act  in  the  political  drama  now  in  per- 
formance on  the  banks  of  the  Plata. 

12 


CHAPTER    XXII. 


Eio  DE  Janeiro. 


December  10th. — The  Congress  has  been  a  month  at  moorings 
here.  Nothing  worthy  of  special  notice  has  occurred  on  shore  in 
the  interval.  The  court  and  church,  by  the  customary  pageants 
on  gala  and  fete  days,  have  furnished  the  chief  objects  for  sight- 
seeing, and  varied  walks  by  the  water  side  and  on  the  mountains, 
my  principal  sources  of  recreation.  Our  return  to  the  metropolis 
was  welcomed,  socially,  by  Mr.  Schenck,  the  new  minister,  and  by 
Gov.  Kent,  the  Consul,  in  elegant  hospitalities  to  the  officers  of 
the  Congress ;  and  Admiral  Reynolds,  relieved  after  long  service 
by  Admiral  Henderson,  in  the  steam  frigate  Centaur,  gave  proof 
of  his  continued  friendship  by  a  farewell  dinner  to  us  before 
putting  to  sea,  "  homeward  bound." 

The  unity  of  my  record,  however,  requires  the  brief  notice 
of  one  or  two  events  on  board  ship.  On  the  evening  of  the  25th 
ult.  an  outrage  was  perpetrated  by  two  or  three  of  the  crew,  cal- 
culated to  bring  a  reproach  upon  our  good  name  for  order  and 
discipline.  I  was  on  shore  with  Commodore  McKeever,  when  it 
was  reported  to  him,  that  a  policeman  of  the  city,  who  had  taken 
a  deserter  on  board,  had  been  knocked  down  on  the  deck  when 
crossing  the  gangway,  and,  it  was  feared,  had  been  fatally  injured. 
This  seemed  a  daring  outbreak  against  the  discipline  of  the 
service,  and  a  serious  offence  against  the  municipal  authority  of 


RETURN   HOME   OF   CAPTAIN   MCINTOSH.  267 

the  city.  Great  excitement  was  produced  by  it,  and  an  investiga- 
tion of  the  affair  at  once  instituted.  Two  chief  offenders  were 
discovered  and  confined  in  irons,  in  dark  cells,  till  a  formal  trial 
of  the  case  should  take  place.  At  first,  the  assault  seemed  so 
wanton,  as  to  be  inexplicable ;  and  could  only  be  resolved  into  an 
act  of  unmitigated  villainy.  I  was  not  long,  however,  in  gaining 
a  clue  to  its  solution,  which,  though  it  did  not  excuse,  explained 
the  grounds  of  provocation,  and  very  greatly  palliated  the  offence. 
The  person  attacked,  instead  of  being  a  policeman,  was  only  one 
of  those  who  are  too  well  known  among  sailors  as  land-sharks — a 
runner  to  a  sailor  boarding-house,  who  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
entrapping  the  men  on  shore,  and  imposing  upon  them  in  various 
ways.  On  a  recent  occasion,  he  had  decoyed  one  of  our  crew — 
under  peculiarly  aggravating  circumstances,  and  with  pretensions 
of  kindness  and  friendship — into  the  hands  of  the  police ;  and  had 
been  guilty  of  a  cowardly  and  abusive  attack  upon  him  personally, 
afterwards,  when  he  had  no  power  to  resent  it.  Great  indigna- 
tion against  him  had  thus  been  excited ;  and  his  unexpected 
appearance  on  the  deck  of  the  Congress,  led  to  a  speedy  determi- 
nation among  a  few,  to  seize  what  might  be  their  only  opportunity 
for  revenge.  A  crowd  was  quickly  gathered  at  the  gangway,  as 
if  in  mere  curiosity,  by  which  the  opportunity  of  tripping  him  up 
would  be  afforded,  as  he  should  leave  the  ship.  This  purpose  was 
successfully  accomplished,  and  so  quickly,  that  there  was  no  time 
for  any  one  to  interfere.  The  chief  injury  he  sustained  was 
from  striking  his  head  upon  the  combings  of  a  hatchway ;  but 
nothing  serious  to  him  is  likely  to  ensue ;  and  the  crew  at  least, 
much  as  they  regret  the  reflection  upon  the  character  of  the  ship 
in  connection  with  the  affair,  think  he  received  only  that  which, 
according  to  the  sailor's  code  of  honor,  was  justly  his  due. 

But  this  is  a  very  trivial  matter,  in  comparison  with  the  chief 
event  which  has  happened :  the  loss  to  us  of  Captain  Mcintosh, 
as  commander  of  the  Congress.  The  U.  S.  ship  Falmouth, 
Captain  Pearson,  of  the  Pacific  squadron,  came  into  port  recently, 
homeward  bound.     An  exchange  of  commands  took  place ;  and 


268  BRAZIL    AND   LA    PLATA. 

Captain  Mcintosh  left  in  the  Falmouth,  on  the  6th  inst.  To 
part  with  him  thus  unexpectedly,  was  to  others  of  the  Congress, 
as  well  as  to  me,  a  severe  trial  Every  officer  felt  it ;  and  there 
was  a  general  lamentation  among  all  hands  of  the  crew.  His 
reputation  in  the  service  is  of  the  highest  merit,  not  only  as  an  ac- 
complished officer,  but  as  a  finished  gentleman ;  and,  favored  with 
his  confidence — especially  on  the  most  importaiit  of  all  subjects — 
and  intimately  associated  with  him,  I  deeply  feel  his  absence. 
Indeed,  when  his  return  to  the  United  States  was  first  announced, 
I  could  scarcely  be  reconciled  to  it.  All  things,  however,  are  now 
going  on  promisingly  under  our  new  commander,  who  comes  to 
us  with  favorable  antecedents,  and  high  professional  character. 
The  ship  is  in  beautiful  order  ;  and  general  harmony  and  content- 
ment prevail,  with  every  promise  of  a  continuance  of  the  happy 
auspices  which  have  hitherto  marked  our  cruise. 

One  thing  is  very  certain — that  to  me  time  flies  with  the 
velocity  of  the  wind.  Each  day  is  too  short  for  its  allotted 
routine  of  duty ;  and  Sabbath  crowds  upon  Sabbath,  as  if  the 
week  were  reduced  to  half  its  length  of  days.  Do  you  ask  how 
this  can  be  in  such  long  and  distant  exile  ?  I  answer,  because  I 
find  varied  occupation  to  interest  and  keep  me  employed  from 
morning  till  night.  I  will  give  you  the  outline  of  a  day  on  board. 
To  begin  at  the  beginning :  while  every  thing  is  still  enshrouded 
in  darkness,  three  loud  and  measured  beats  upon  a  bass  drum 
fall  on  the  dead  silence  of  the  ship  at  the  hour,  like  the  heavy 
tread — according  to  romance  writers  of  old — of  a  ghost  in  a 
haunted  castle,  at  midnight.  They  are  the  signal  for  the  firing 
of  the  morning  gun  of  thirty-two  pounds,  which  occurs  simulta- 
neously with  the  last  stroke  on  the  drum,  and  is  followed  by  the 
beating  of  the  reveille.  This,  however,  is  not  intended,  and, 
in  general  has  not  the  effect  to  waken  the  hundreds  of  sleepers 
on  board  from  their  repose,  but  only  to  proclaim  the  first  ap- 
proaches of  the  dawn  in  the  east,  or,  in  nautical  phraseology, 
"  to  make  daylight."  It  is  not  till  half  an  hour  afterwards  that 
the  boatswain's  pipe,  followed  and  joined  by  those  of  his  mates, 


ON  BOARD  A  MAN-OF-WAE.    269 

is  heard  to  echo  shrilly  round  the  decks,  preparatory  to  the  clear 
and  stentorian  cry  by  him,  "Up,  all  hands!"  caught,  also  by 
his  mates  and  bawled  by  them  about  the  ship,  in  varied  tones 
of  voice,  but  all  very  considerably  above  concert  pitch.  Then 
again  in  like  manner,  '^  Up  all  hammocks  !  "  and  should  it  be  a 
washing-day,  of  which  there  are  two  or  three  each  week,  a  third 
cry  is  heard,  "  All  hands  wash  clothes  !  "  or  All  hands  wash 
hammocks !  "  as  the  case  may  be.  Every  one  springs  at  once 
from  his  hammock ;  all  on  board  is  bustle  and  activity ;  and,  for 
an  hour  or  more,  there  is  heard  a  universal  rubbing,  and  scrub- 
bing, and  scouring  on  deck,  till  the  clothes  are  all  washed  and 
hoisted  fore  and  aft  on  lines  in  the  rigging.  Then  comes  a  dash- 
ing and  splashing  of  water,  and  a  thumping  and  bumping,  a 
pounding  and  grating  of  "  holystones  "  over  the  sanded  decks,  that 
would  efiectually  break  the  slumber  of  any  one  but  a  naval  officer. 
By  the  inexperienced,  all  this  would  be  thought  an  effectual  sub- 
stitute for  the  gong,  in  rousing  one  from  his  slumbers,  and  in 
hastening  him  to  the  deck  to  enjoy  the  balmy  land-breeze,  and  the 
glorious  coloring  of  the  morning  on  the  landscape.  As  to  the 
morning  gun  and  the  reveille,  I  neither  heed  nor  hear  the  sound 
of  either  of  them  once  in  a  month ;  and  as  to  the  beauty  of  the 
morning,  and  the  fresh  air  of  the  deck,  woe  to  him  who  seeks 
them,  unless  prepared  to  receive  a  shower-bath  of  dirty  water,  by 
the  bucketfull,  at  every  hatchwa}^  he  attempts  to  ascend,  and  to 
wade  ancle-deep,  in  search  of  some  spot  where  he  can  stand  for 
a  monient,  without  being  tripped  up  by  a  "  squill-gee,"  or  knocked 
off  his  feet  by  the  thrashing  about  of  huge  "  swabs." 

This  general  ship-cleaning  is  not  ordinarily  finished  till  near 
8  o'clock — the  breakfast  hour  on  board ;  when  our  flags  are  thrown 
to  the  wind  with  a  salute  to  them  by  "  Hail  Columbia,"  or  the 
"  Star-spangled  Banner,"  from  the  band.  Breakfast  is  followed 
by  a  change  of  dress  in  the  crew ;  and  the  ship  thus  in  the  nicest 
order,  and  the  men  in  uniform  clothes  of  pure  white,  with  cuffs 
and  collars  of  blue,  we  are  ready  for  both  the  duty  and  the 
pleasure  that  the  day  may  bring  forth,     Denied  the  fresh  air  and 


270  BRAZIL   AND  LA   PLATA. 

bright  scenery  of  the  early  day,  by  the  comfortless  state  of  the 
deck,  I  give  the  first  hour  after  breakfast  to  the  enjoyment  of 
these,  and  the  rest  of  the  morning  to  study. 

The  arrival  of  the  long-expected  library  for  the  crew  has 
given  quite  a  literary  aspect  to  their  hours  of  leisure.  I  have 
voluntarily  undertaken  the  office  of  librarian ;  and  a  half-day 
twice  a  week,  is  necessarily  given  to  the  record  of  the  issue  and 
return  of  the  books.  Evening  classes,  to  which  I  also  voluntarily 
give  a  general  superintendence,  have  been  formed  among  the 
adults  for  improvement  in  reading,  writing,  and  arithmetic ;  and 
six  or  eight  of  the  more  ambitious  and  promising,  receive  occa- 
sionally from  me  in  my  room,  lessons  of  an  hour  or  two,  in  the 
higher  branches  of  arithmetic  and  in  navigation.  Thus,  with  a 
couple  of  hours  on  shore  for  exercise,  and  daily  visits  to  the  sick 
and  imprisoned  on  board,  I  find  my  time  fully  occupied.  I  say 
visits  to  the  imprisoned ;  for,  since  the  abolition  of  the  lash  by 
act  of  Congress,  it  has  been  found  necessary  to  erect  cells — as 
remote  as  can  be  from  the  ordinary  resorts  of  the  crew  about  the 
decks — for  solitary  confinement.  The  interviews  which  I  am 
permitted  to  have  with  those  under  such  punishment  have  proved 
to  be  salutary  in  their  efiect  in  the  discipline  of  the  ship ;  and  I 
claim  the  liberty  of  access  to  them,  as  a  privilege  of  my  office. 

American  seamen,  as  a  class,  are  fond  of  reading ;  and  often, 
not  only  of  reading  such  books  as  the  Arabian  Nights,  trashy 
romances,  tales  of  piracy  and  murder,  and  Munchausen  stories, 
but  books  of  history,  biography,  travels,  and  even  poetry.  Among 
the  works  ordered,  is  a  set  of  Washington  Irving's  writings  :  no 
volumes  are  more  called  for — especially  the  lives  of  Columbus  and 
Mahommed,  the  Conquest  of  Granada,  and  the  Sketch  Book. 

The  most  remarkable  reader  among  the  crew  is  an  old  main- 
mast-man of  most  trustworthy  character.  Religious  works  ex- 
clusively are  his  choice.  The  Bible  is  his  constant  companion ; 
and,  besides  an  entire  set  of  the  Evangelical  library  of  the 
American  Tract  Society,  which  I  brought  with  me  for  the  use 
of  any  who  would  receive  them,  he  has  carefully  read  almost 


SOUNDS   IN   THE    STREETS.  271 

every  volume  of  a  theological  and  practical  nature  in  my 
own  library — including  portions  of  Home's  Introduction,  the 
whole  of  Dwight's  Theology,  and  the  entire  works  of  Archbishop 
Leighton.  Of  good  countenance  and  personal  appearance  in  ge- 
neral, sedate  and  quiet  in  his  conduct,  and  scrupulously  neat  and 
particular  in  dress,  he  forms  a  study  for  an  artist,  as,  seated  near 
the  main-mast,  where  he  is  stationed  at  sea,  his  knees  spread  with 
a  piece  of  white  duck — to  keep  all  spots  from  his  nicely  covered 
volume — with  spectacled  nose,  he  pores  over  it  hour  after  hour, 
so  entirely  absorbed  by  its  contents  as  to  lose  all  consciousness 
of  the  varied  movements  around  him.  He  seems  truly  a  good 
man,  and  sincerely  interested  in  religious  things;  but  when  I 
question  him  in  regard  to  personal  faith  and  hope,  he  shakes  his 
head  negatively,  as  if  he  dare  not  presume  to  these ;  probably 
from  the  consciousness  of  an  infirmity  which  he  finds  it  difficult 
to  overcome — the  inability  to  resist  indulgence  in  strong  drink 
on  shore.  Aware  of  this  he,  for  the  most  part,  very  wisely  de- 
clines accepting  the  liberty  of  leaving  the  ship.  There  are  other 
instances  of  like  self-denial  from  the  same  cause,  among  some  of 
our  "  best  men,"  in  sea  phraseology. 

December  \2tli. — I  recollect  having  stated,  that  the  first 
gight  which  arrests  the  eyes  of  the  stranger  on  landing  in  Rio, 
is  the  number,  varied  employments,  and  garb  of  the  negroes. 
The  first,  and  chief  human  sounds  that  reach  his  ears,  are  also  from 
this  class.  Their  cries  through  the  streets  vary  with  the  pursuits 
they  follow.  That  of  the  vegetable  and  fruit  venders  is  monot- 
onous and  singular ;  but  so  varied,  that  each  kind  of  vegetable 
and  fruit  seems  to  have  its  own  song.  The  coffee  carriers,  moving 
in  gangs,  have  a  tune  of  their  own  to  which  they  keep  time,  in 
an  Indian-like  lope,  with  a  bag  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  pounds' 
weight,  poised  on  their  heads.  The  bearers  of  furniture  form  a 
regular  choir.  One  or  two,  with  rattles  of  tin  in  their  hands, 
resembling  the  nose  of  a  watering-pot,  perforated  with  holes  and 
filled  with  shot,  lead  the  way  in  a  style  truly  African.  To 
this  is  allied,  with  full  strength  of  lungs,  a  kind  of  travelling 


272  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

chant,  in  which  at  times  all  join  in  chorus.  It  is  full  and  sonor- 
ous, and  rendered  pleasant,  if  from  no  other  cause,  by  the  satis- 
faction from  it  visible,  in  the  shining  and  sweating  faces  of  the 
poor  blacks.  An  effort  was  made  by  the  authorities,  some  years 
ago,  to  put  a  ■  stop  to  the  unceasing  vociferations  and  songs  of 
the  slaves  ;  and  a  decree  to  that  effect  was  issued.  But  on  trial, 
it  was  found  that  the  poor  creatures  drooped  and  faltered  under 
their  task,  as  they  worked  in  forced  silence ;  and  soon  moped  in 
such  melancholy  and  depression,  that  the  attempt  was  abandoned. 
They  now  have  full  license  to  let  out  their  musical  voices;  and 
the  way  some  of  them  give  utterance  from  their  full  chests,  "  to 
gigantic  sounds,  is  a  marvel  to  low-voiced  humanity."  This  is 
in  direct  contrast  to  the  habits  of  the  Brazilians.  The  chief  and 
only  sound  you  hear  in  the  street  from  them,  is  a  singular  kind 
of  softened  hiss,  the  nearest  resemblance  to  which  the  unprac- 
tised American  could  make,  would  probably  be,  according  to 
a  suggestion  of  Gov.  Kent,  in  the  effort  to  pronounce  the  word 
"  tissue  "  by  a  quick  and  single  action  of  the  lips  and  tongue. 
This  can  be  heard  at  a  considerable  distance,  and  seldom  fails  to 
attract  the  attention  of  the  person  to  whom  it  is  directed.  No 
loud  call — no  halloo  !  to  stop  or  to  stand — no  rough  salutation 
or  boisterous  recognition  is  here  heard,  but  all  is  quiet  and  calm. 
A  beckon  of  the  hand,  as  if  you  wished  the  person  to  approach, 
accompanied  by  a  play  of  each  finger,  is  the  salute  to  a  passer-by 
in  a  carriage,  or  one  at  too  great  a  distance  for  the  ordinary  low 
tone  of  voice.  The  motion  would  be  taken  by  a  stranger  for  a 
beckon  to  come  near,  but  when  this  is  intended,  the  action  is  re- 
versed, the  back  of  the  hand  being  towards  the  body,  and  the 
motion  of  the  fingers  a  scoop  inwards. 

This  sparing  of  the  voice  and  this  quiet  action,  indicate  the 
general  indolence  of  the  people,  induced  by  the  debilitating  in- 
fluence of  a  tropical  climate,  and  is  characteristic  of  all  their 
habits.  It  is  a  principle  with  them  to  sit  at  rest  as  much  as  pos- 
sible, and  when  forced  to  move,  to  do  so  slowly  and  gently — to 


CIVILITY    AND   PATIENCE    OF   THE   PEOPLE.  273 

be  calm  and  composed,  quiet  and  noiseless.     With  this  view  of 
life,  they  eat,  sleep,  keep  their  temper  and  grow  fat. 

Public  conveyances  here,  as  elsewhere,  afford  good  opportuni- 
ties for  studying  some  of  the  manners  and  habits  of  the  people. 
Lines  of  omnibuses  run  in  various  directions  through  the  city, 
and  far  into  the  suburbs.  Gov.  Kent  has  found  it  convenient 
during  his  residence  here,  to  make  much  use  of  them,  and  says, 
that  in  so  doing,  he  has  been  led  to  remark  among  other  traits, 
the  marvellous  patience  of  the  natives,  and  their  utter  disregard 
for  loss  of  time.  No  matter  how  long,  or  however  unaccountable 
the  delay  in  starting,  there  is  no  inquiry  made,  no  remonstrance 
uttered,  no  English  or  American  fretting  and  scolding  and  threat- 
ening. The  Brazilian  passengers  on  such  occasions  appear  as  if 
they  would  sit  for  the  day  and  the  night,  without  a  look  or  ques- 
tion of  impatience.  On  one  occasion,  he  was  making  a  passage 
in  a  steamboat  from  the  port  of  Estrella,  on  the  western  side  of 
the  bay  of  Rio.  In  crossing  a  shoal  she  grounded  in  the  mud 
and  remained  fast  for  an  hour  ;  not  a  native  passenger  manifested 
the  least  curiosity  or  anxiety  in  regard  to  the  detention.  No  one 
asked  the  cause  or  went  forward  to  make  any  investigation,  or  to 
ascertain  whether  the  tide  was  rising  or  falling.  There  was 
nothing  on  board  either  to  eat  or  drink,  except  water ;  yet  no  one 
inquired  how  long  the  delay  might  be,  but  each  taking  out  his 
tablets,  or  a  newspaper,  began  writing  or  reading  as  if  all  were 
going  on  well. 

Another  trait  strikingly  exhibited  in  the  omnibus,  is  the  re- 
markable politeness  and  civility  of  the  citizens,  in  some  respects. 
Every  man  that  enters  the  vehicle  raises  his  hat  to  his  fellow- 
passengers,  who  return  the  salute  in  the  same  manner."  Sometimes 
in  doing  this,  if  the  ommnibus  suddenly  starts,  there  is  an  amus- 
ing struggle  between  politeness  and  the  self-preservation  which 
demands  the  use  of  both  hands,  ending  at  times  in  a  stumble 
and  fall,  hat  in  hand,  in  the  anxiety  to  do  the  accustomed  honors. 
But  no  one  thinks  of  yielding  his  seat  after  it  is  once  taken, 
either  to  sex  or  age ;  and  if  the  only  unoccupied  place  should  be 
12* 


274  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

at  the  furthest  end  of  the  carriage,  the  most  delicate  woman,  on 
entering,  must  force  her  way  to  it  as  best  she  may.  This  is  to 
be  attributed  to  the  national  dislike  to  locomotion,  and  to  the  vis 
inerticB  incident  to  the  climate.  Men  will  often  sit  wedged  to- 
gether in  a  hot  day,  after  vacancies  on  both  sides  have  occurred, 
rather  than  move  a  foot  for  a  more  comfortable  position. 

The  omnibuses  are  drawn  by  mules,  and  amusing  scenes  are 
often  witnessed  by  the  display  of  their  characteristic  obstinacy 
and  ill-temper.  As  a  friend  remarks,  in  the  language  of  some 
modern  reformers,  "  from  their  unfortunate  and  misdirected  or- 
ganization, they  exhibit,  at  times,  great  lightness  of  heel,  and 
a  savage  desire  to  kick  something."  The  drivers,  however, 
manage  them  admirably,  and  guide  them  skilfully,  at  a  rapid 
rate,  through  the  narrow  streets.  The  carriages  are  strongly 
built — as  they  need  to  be ;  for  the  pavements  are  very  rough. 
To  this,  however,  the  drivers  pay  little  heed,  and  generally  drive 
the  most  rapidly  over  the  worst  sections.  In  one  respect  the 
rate  at  which  they  move  is  an  inconvenience  to  those  wishing  to 
take  passage.  The  drivers  have  nothing  of  the  "  wide-awake  " 
qualities  of  the  Yankee  jehus  of  the  same  vehicles  at  home.  They 
never  look  out  for  passengers  in  the  cross  streets,  and  never  be- 
hind them,  but  wait  to  be  hailed  by  the  native  "  hiss."  The 
foreigner  may  not  be  accomplished  in  the  utterance  of  this; 
and  when  once  the  omnibus  is  well  started,  there  is  a  farewell 
to  all  hope  of  a  seat  for  the  trip. 


CHAPTER     XXIII. 

San  Aliexo. 

December  lUh. — Where,  or  what,  you  will  ask,  is  San  Aliexo  ? 
It  is  a  spot  which  reminds  me  more  of  my  home  than  any  place 
I  have  seen  for  eighteen  months  past,  notwithstanding  the  exist- 
ence of  features  in  its  scenery  in  the  widest  possible  contrast 
with  any  found  there.  Even  while  I  write,  there  is  a  rumbling 
and  babbling  of  water  near  at  hand,  which  tempts  me  to  fancy 
that  I  am  at  the  table  of  the  little  library  so  familiar  to  you,  and 
that  it  is  our  own  brook  I  hear,  made  unusually  merry  by  the 
meltings  of  the  spring,  or  the  pourings  of  an  autumnal  rain.  But 
this  is  not  telling  you  what,  and  where,  San  Aliexo  is. 

It  is  a  little  valley  at  the  foot  of  the  Organ  Mountains,  thirty 

miles  from  Rio  de  Janiero.     Mr.  M ,  in  whose  bride,  brought 

to  Brazil  by  him  from  the  United  States  last  summer,  I  re- 
cognized with  so  much  surprise  and  pleasure,  my  young  friend, 

M G ,  daughter  of  Capt.  G ,  of  the  navy,  resides  in 

it ;  and  a  visit  to  her  and  her  husband  has  led  me  here.  My 
messmate,   Captain  T*— * — ,  of  the  marine  corps j  is  an  uncle  of 

Mrs.  M .     He  passed  a  fortnight  recently  at  San  Aliexo,  and 

joined  the  ship  again,  three  days  ago.     Mr.  M accompanied 

him  on  board,  and  so  earnestly  urged  an  invitation  from  himself 
and  my  young  friend  to  their  place,  that  I  returned  with  him,  and 
have  now,  for  two  days,  been  enjoying  their  hospitality  in  the 


276  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

very  perfection  of  rural  life.  The  trip  as  far  as  Piedade,  at  the 
head  of  the  bay,  twenty  miles  from  Rio,  is  made  by  water.  Till 
within  a  year  or  two,  the  packets  plying  between  this  place  and 
the  city,  were  exclusively  sharp-built  and  gracefully  modelled 
lateen  sail-boats ;  but  now,  a  little  steamer,  scarcely  larger  than 
the  smallest  "  tug  "  at  New  York,  also  makes  a  daily  trip.  We 
embarked  on  this  at  noon,  and  reached  Piedade  at  3  o'clock; 
having  stopped  to  land  and  receive  passengers  at  Paqueta,  tfce 
most  beautiful  of  the  islands  in  the  upper  part  of  the  bay. 

The  day  was  remarkably  fine;  neither  too  bright  nor  glaring  for 
the  enjoyment  of  the  scenery,  as  is  often  the  case  in  this,  the  mid- 
summer of  the  year,  nor  too  sombre  from  the  thickness  of  the 
screening  clouds.  There  was  quite  a  number  of  passengers,  male 
and  female,  and  of  a  variety  of  nations — Brazilian,  Portuguese, 
French,  German,  Swiss,  Italians,  Englishmen,  Americans,  and 
numerous  Africans,  both  bond  and  free.  The  Italians  were  image 
venders,  having  with  them  the  long  board  which  they  carry  on 
their  heads  in  their  travels,  filled  with  the  plaster  casts  of  saints 
and  angels,  dancing-girls  and  satyrs,  and,  for  aught  I  observed  to 
the  contrary,  statuettes  of  the  Prince  of  Evil  himself  The 
images  of  the  saints  led  to  conversation  among  some  of  the  pas- 
sengers, long  resident  in  the  country,  on  the  superstition  and 
superstitious  practices  of  the  common  people.  Some  of  the 
anecdotes  related  were  quite  amusing.  San  Antonio,  or  St.' 
Anthony,  is  the  patron  saint  of  the  Portuguese.  It  is  upon  hira 
chiefly  they  rely  for  aid  in  various  straits  and  difficulties — 
especially  in  the  recovery  of  lost  or  stolen  property.  The  highly 
glazed  and  gaudily  painted  effigies  of  this  saint,  represent  him 
with  an  infant  Saviour  in  his  arms.  This  baby-image  is  not, 
however,  part  and  parcel  of  the  principal  cast,  but  a  separate 
piece  attached  to  the  arm  of  the  saint  by  a  long  pin,  which  can 
be  inserted  in  a  hole  in  the  plaster,  and  removed  at  pleasure. 
And  for  what  purpose  is  this  arrangement,  do  you  imagine  ?  I 
could  scarcely  have  credited  the  statement,  had  not  an  examina- 
tion of  the  images  corroborated  it :  the  purpose  is,  that  the  saint, 


EXPERIENCE   IN    MIRACLES  277 

when  regardless  of  the  prayers  made  to  him  for  aid  in  any  specific 
case,  may  be  punished  by  having  the  child  taken  from  him  !  This, 
I  am  assured,  is  often  done.  An  additional  infliction  for  hard- 
heartedness  or  contumacy  on  his  part,  is  to  put  his  image  behind 
the  door  with  its  face  to  the  wall,  or  to  stand  it  on  its  head,  up- 
side down !  A  gentleman  present  related  the  following  fact, 
illustrative  of  a  like  degree  of  superstition.  An  old  Portuguese, 
near  whom  he  lived  as  a  neighbor  for  a  long  time,  and  with  whom 
he  was  familiar,  said  to  him  one  day,  "  You  Protestants  do  not 
believe  in  miracles  ?  "  "  No,  not  in  miracles  of  the  present  day — 
do  you  ?  "  "  Certainly."  "  And  why  ?  "  "  Because  I  have  ex- 
perienced them  myself."  "  Indeed  !  and  when  was  that  ?  "  "  Oh ! 
at  different  times :  once  in  Portugal,  when  I  was  a  young  man. 
Like  most  young  fellows,  I  was  fond  of  dress  then,  and  wore  a 
pair  of  silver  shoe-buckles,  of  which  I  was  very  vain.  One 
Sunday  having  them  on,  I  set  off  for  chapel  two  or  three  miles 
distant,  by  a  cross  path,  and  when  I  got  there,  one  of  my  buckles 
was  gone.  I  was  very  much  troubled;  but  staid  to  mass, 
vowing  to  San  Antonio,  if  he  would  get  back  my  buckle,  I  would 
give  him  a  wax  candle.  On  my  way  home,  I  kept  looking  along 
the  path  to  see  whether  San  Antonio  would  hear  my  prayer ;  and 
before  I  had  gone  half  the  way,  there  lay  the  buckle  before  me 
all  right,  on  one  side  of  the  path.  At  another  time  I  lost  a 
favorite  dog.  I  was  very  much  grieved,  and  felt  the  loss  so  much, 
that  one  day,  when  walking  along  the  road,  I  made  a  vow  to  San 
Antonio  of  a  half  pound  of  candles,  if  he  would  only  bring  him 
back ;  and  I  had  scarcely  said  the  words,  before  my  dog  came 
bouncing  through  the  hedge  to  me  as  fast  as  he  could  run !  " 
Such  was  the  amount  of  the  old  man's  experience  in  miracles. 

While  mentally  classifying  my  fellow-passengers,  as  to  their 
nationality  and  social  position,  my  eye  rested  on  one  of  them, 
apparently  some  sixty  years  of  age,  whose  aspect  was  peculiarly 
intelligent  and  gentlemanlike.  A  round  jacket  of  blue  cloth, 
trowsers  of  cotton  striped  blue  and  white,  long  boots  of  the 
country  of  undressed  leather,  with  spurs  of  like  fashion,  a  broad- 


278  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

brimmed,  low-crowned,  white  felt  hat,  and  a  whip  in  hand, 
told  that  he  was  prepared  to  ride  after  reaching  the  landing. 

Pointing  him  out  to  Mr.  M ,  I  said,  "  That  person,  I  presume, 

is  a  country  gentleman   of  the   first   class."     Looking   in   the 

direction  indicated,  he  replied,  "  That  is  Admiral  T ."     This 

I  at  once  perceived  to  be  the  fact ;  and,  both  of  us  having  before 
met  him,  we  approached  with  our  salutations.  He  is  an  English- 
man, who  left  the  British  naval  service  when  a  lieutenant,  thirty 
years  ago,  for  that  of  Brazil,  and  has  been  advanced  in  it  to  the 
rank  of  admiral.  After  much  important  naval  service,  he  was 
appointed  adjutant-general  of  the  Empire,  during  the  minority 
of  the  Emperor,  an  office  which  he  held  for  many  years ;  but  is 
now  off  duty,  and  on  the  retired  list  of  the  navy.  I  first  met 
him  in  Bio  in  1829;  and  a  second  time  since  the  Congress  has 
been  on  this  station,  but  in  so  different  a  dress,  that  I  did  not  now 
recognize  him.  He  was  on  his  way  to  a  coffee  plantation  in  the 
Organ  Mountains  ;  his  horses  and  servants  being  also  on  board  the 
steamer.  His  reception  of  us  was  most  cordial,  and  his  con- 
versation during  the  remainder  of  the  passage,  interesting  and 
instructive,  from  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the  country.  No 
meals  are  served  on  board  the  packet,  and  he  insisted  upon  our 
joining  him  in  a  Brazilian  lunch,  as  he  called  it,  of  sausages, 
made  partly  of  beef  and  partly  of  pork — with  a  strong  mingling 
of  garlic— stuffed  in  a  large  skin,  in  imitation  of  those  of 
Bologna.  Cheese,  and  bread  in  rolls,  with  oranges  for  dessert, 
made  up  the  repast :  all  being  served  in  most  primitive  style,  on 
the  wrappers  of  brown  paper  in  which  the  articles  had  been  pur- 
chased at  the  grocer's.  Each  of  us  used  his  own  knife  in  helping 
himself,  and  all  drank  from  a  cup  of  silver,  belonging  to  our  host, 
which  was  as  bruised  and  battered,  as  if  it  had  done  service  for  a 
whole  mess  in  a  dozen  campaigns.  We  ate  upon  deck  in  the 
midst  of  our  fellow-passengers ;  and  were  waited  on  by  a  slave 
in  shirt  and  trowsers  of  coarse  towcloth,  without  shoes  or  hat, 
but  in  a  livery-jacket  of  blue  turned  up  with  red,  and  a  red 
waistcoat.     His   master   seemed  most   kindly  attached  to  him, 


PIEDADE.  279 

saying  that,  "  in  fidelity,  honesty,  and  in  every  qualification  for 
his  business,  he  was  worth  any  twenty  ordinary  servants  '  at 
home'  " — referring,  I  suppose,  to  England. 

Piedade,  the  place  to  which  the  steamer  plies,  consists  of  one 
long  range  of  buildings  under  a  single  roof,  and  comprises  a  ware- 
house, for  the  storage  of  coffee  and  other  products  on  their  way 
to  the  city,  and  the  returns  in  foreign  goods ;  a  packet  office ;  a 
shop  for  the  retail  of  articles  in  general  demand ;  and  a  small 
venda  or  tavern — the  eating  and  sleeping-rooms  of  which  commu- 
nicate directly  with  the  stables  and  mule-stalls  in  the  rear.  Room 
for  this  establishment  —  along  the  front  and  on  one  end  of 
which  the  wharf  extends — has  been  scooped  from  the  base  of  an 
isolated,  round-topped  promontory,  which  rises  from  the  bay, 
much  in  the  manner,  and  with  the  general  appearance  of  Stony 
Point,  near  the  entrance  of  the  Highlands  on  the  Hudson.  We 
had  intended  to  dine  here  ;  but  the  luncheon  of  the  admiral  saved 
us  from  all  temptation  on  landing,  from  the  oily  dishes  of  the 
dirty  venda,  which,  rank  with  garlic,  were  spreading  their  perfume 
around,  and  we  hastened  to  proceed  on  our  way. 

It  was  quite  a  pleasure  to  see  a  light  and  tasteful  wagon  of 
American  manufacture,  with  seats  for  two  and  a  caleche  top,  in 
readiness  to  receive  us  ;  and  one  still  greater  to  move  off"  in  it,  at 
a  rapid  rate,  behind  two  fat,  sleek,  and  spirited  mules.  These 
animals  are  much  more  serviceable  than  horses  in  this  climate.  I 
am  becoming  so  much  accustomed  to  their  appearance,  as  almost 
to  admire  them.  Some  of  those  brought  to  the  landing  to  meet 
the  passengers  in  company  with  us,  were  beautiful ;  especially  two 
that  were  milk-white,  rivalling  the  drifted  snow.  The  saddle- 
cloths  and  bridle-reins  were  also  white,  and  in  the  most  perfect 
keeping.  In  these  animals,  as  well  as  some  others,  I  could  trace 
lines  of  beauty  ;  particularly  in  their  long  and  delicately  shaped 
ears,  their  neatly  shaven  tails,  and  slender  and  symmetrically  formed 
legs.  On  being  mounted,  they  amble  off,  too,  with  their  riders  in 
such  an  easy  and  knowing  way,  that  I  am  beginning  to  have  quite 
a  fancy  for  a  well-trained  beast  of  the  kind. 


280  BRAZIL  AND  LA  PLATA. 

Carriage  roads  are  not  common  in  Brazil.  That  on  which 
we  now  were,  is  the  principal  among  the  few  in  this  section  of  the 
empire,  and  leads  across  the  mountains  to  the  mining  districts 
in  the  far  interior.  It  is  narrow,  but  well  graded ;  having  the 
earth  thrown  up  in  the  centre  with  deep  and  wide  trenches  on 
either  side.  It  is  for  the  most  part  unfenced  ;  enclosures  by  the 
wayside,  wherever  there  are  any,  are  formed  by  hedges  of  the 
thorny  acacia,  of  mimosa,  the  running  rose,  the  wild  orange  tree, 
or  the  hybiscus. 

The  road  presented  a  lively  scene  for  some  distance,  in  the 
movements  on  it  of  the  passengers  from  the  boat — some  in  clumsy 
carriages,  but  chiefly  on  horse  and  mule-back,  and  the  poorer 
class  and  negroes  on  foot.  These  last,  with  trunks  and  portman- 
teaus, boxes,  bundles,  and  different  kinds  of  packages  of  greater 
or  less  weight  on  their  heads,  walked  erectly  and  with  firm  and 
rapid  stride.  The  country  between  the  waters  of  the  bay  and 
the  foot  of  the  mountains,  a  space  of  ten  or  twelve  miles,  is  allu- 
vial, low  and  wet, — a  sandy  and  marshy  plain,  overspread  with 
brushwood  and  jungle,  from  which  numerous  rounded  hills  rise 
abruptly  on  every  side.  These,  well- wooded,  and  partially  culti- 
vated, are  the  sites  of  the  few  dwellings  seen.  The  first  part  of 
the  way  presents  the  aspect  of  a  region  abounding  in  miasma  and 
mosquitoes,  with  few  attractions  as  a  place  of  residence.  At  the 
end  of  four  miles  is  the  town  of  Maje,  situated  on  a  small  river 
of  the  same  name.  It  is  the  head  of  boat  navigation,  and  counts 
a  population  of  three  or  four  thousand  :  but  seems  a  dull  and 
inactive  place,  and  may  be  summarily  described  as  a  shabby  and 
dirty  Portuguese  town. 

Beyond  Maje  the  country  improved  in  appearance.  The  hills 
were  more  numerous  and  more  swelling  in  outline,  and  their  sides 
and  summits  more  richly  tufted  with  foliage.  Here  the  chief  ani- 
mation of  the  scene  consisted  in  long  "troupes"  of  heavily  laden 
mules  with  their  muleteers,  on  their  way  from  the  interior,  or 
returning  from  Piedade  with  panniers  less  heavily  laden  or  entirely 
empty.     Some  were  en  route  ;  others,  groujped  under  the  shade 


COTTON   FACTORY    OF    SAN    ALIEXO.  28^1 

of  immense  open  sheds  or  ranchos, — places  built  at  distances  of  a 
few  miles  by  the  wayside,  for  the  accommodation  of  these  troupes — 
were  resting  for  a  brief  time ;  and  others  again,  relieved  from 
their  burdens  for  a  longer  stop,  were  seen  eagerly  seeking  food, 
wherever  they  could  find  it  by  the  wayside. 

The  enterprise  which  brought  Mr.  M to  Brazil,  and  has 

made  him  a  resident  here,  is  the  establishment  of  a  cotton  manu- 
factory ;  and  the  road  into  which  we  turned  from  the  great  turn- 
pike, as  it  is  called,  at  the  end  of  three  miles  from  Maje,  is  of  his 
own  construction,  to  facilitate  the  transportation  of  the  raw 
material  and  manufactured  goods,  to  and  from  his  establishment, 
five  miles  distant.  It  is  not  so  wide  or  so  well  graded  as  the 
public  road,  but  most  creditable  as  a  private  work,  and  a  great 
advance  upon  the  mule-track  and  bridle-path  of  former  days. 
The  last  four  miles  of  the  drive  along  the  rich  bottom-land  of  the 
Maj6,  and  afterwards  of  its  tributary,  the  Peak  River,  was  beau- 
tiful. The  narrow,  lane-like  road  is  lined  closely  on  either  side 
with  green  hedges,  in  some  places  of  mallows  covered  with  purple 
flowers,  three  or  four  feet  only  in  height,  and  in  others  of  the  wild 
orange  tree,  rising  to  twenty  and  thirty.  The  loftier  ranges  of 
the  mountains  in  front  of  us  were  hidden  in  clouds ;  still  the 
wildness  and  beauty  of  the  shafts  which  buttress  them,  and  of  the 
hills  which  form  their  bases,  were  more  and  more  impressive  the 
further  we  advanced.  At  length,  as  we  turned  the  shoulder  of  a 
projecting  hill,  the  little  valley,  three  miles  long,  and  half  a  mile 
wide,  hemmed  in  and  overhung  by  the  wildest  and  loftiest  peaks 
of  the  Organ  Mountains,  opened  suddenly  to  view.  To  my  eyes 
it  was  fascinating  in  its  secluded  beauty,  and  the  wild  sublimity 
of  its  surroundings.  I  can  scarcely  describe  the  effect,  from 
association,  of  the  unexpected  sight  of  an  "  American  Factory," 
with  its  modest  belfry,  rising  loftily  and  in  snowy  whiteness  from 
the  midst  of  green  groves  and  bright  streams ;  the  cottages  of 
the  operatives  being  clustered  around  it;  and,  in  a  grove  of 
acacias,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant,  the  "  American  "  dwelling 
of  the  proprietor.     I  use  the  word  '•  American  "  not  in  reference 


282  BKAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

to  fashion  merely,  but  to  material  and  constrution,  the  whole 
having  been  fitted  for  use  in  the  United  States.  There  was  not 
an  image,  in  all  that  gave  animation  to  the  picture,  to  break 
the  illusion  of  having  been  suddenly  transported  from  Brazil, 
and  set  down  in  some  manufacturing  glen  at  home. 

Mr.  M 's  house  is  situated  on  a  natural  terrace,  twenty 

feet  above  the  level  of  a  beautiful  meadow  of  alfalfa  or  Peruvian 
grass,  which  lies  between  it  and  the  factory.  A  road  on  the  bank 
of  the  river  runs  beside  this,  in  front  of  the  house  and  lawn ;  and 
is  a  perfect  specimen  of  the  "  green  lane,"  in  the  English  land- 
scape. Smooth,  straight,  and  turf-covered,  with  a  hedge  of 
mimosa  on  the  meadow  side,  and  embowering  thickets  of  bushes 
and  trees  overhanging  the  river  on  the  other,  it  forms  a  strik- 
ing object  in  the  scene :  one  harmonizing  well  with  the  rural 
quietude  and  simplicity  of  the  whole.  In  the  lawn,  which  is  on 
a  level  with  the  meadow  and  lane,  there  is  a  fountain  and  fine 
jet  d'eau,  and  upon  the  terrace  above,  another  between  the  draw- 
ing-room windows  and  the  grove  of  acacias*  A  garden  of  fruit 
and  flowers  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  house,  is  separated  from 
it  by  an  artificial  stream,  whose  bed  is  so  paved  with  rough  stones 
as  to  produce  a  constant  murmur  of  soft  sounds,  as  the  water 
glides  over  and  around  them.  Every  thing  in  sight,  indeed,  though 
the  place  is  new,  presents  a  picture  of  taste  and  rural  beauty, 
that  makes  me  think  of  the  "  happy  valley  "  in  Rasselas. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  say  that  I  was  most  cordially  received  by 
my  friend,  whom  I  found  in  all  the  freshness  and  bloom  of 
American  beauty,  and  that  I  felt  at  once  at  home  in  her  neat  and 
tasteful  abode. 

Dec.  \%ih. — At  the  end  of  three  days  even,  I  cannot  resist  a 
feeling  of  having  been  transported  from  Brazil  to  some  mountain 
region  at  home.  There  is  nothing  in  the  general  foliage,  except 
here  and  there  the  tufted  top  of  a  palm,  or  the  broad  leaf  of  the 
banana,  to  forbid  the  illusion.  The  place,  in  its  quietude,  its 
bright  meadow  and  green  lane,  edged  with  hedges,  its  river  whisper- 
ing over  a  stony  bed,  beneath  thicket-covered  and  tree-embowered 


SABBATH  AT  SAN  ALIEXO.  283 

"banks,  reminds  me  of  Landsdown  ;  while  the  house,  an  importa- 
tion in  all  its  parts  from  the  United  States  ;  the  factory,  of  which 
the  same  is  true ;  and  the  distant  hum  of  its  busy  looms  and 
spindles,  present  a  picture  as  strikingly  characteristic  of  New 
England. 

The  weather  is  charming :  clear  and  bright,  with  an  occasional 
cloud  of  snowy  whiteness  floating  against  the  deep  blue  of  the 
sky,  while  breezes  of  grateful  elasticity  fan  down  from  the 
mountain  tops  in  the  mornings  and  evenings,  and  sweep  back 
through  the  valley  with  coolness  from  the  distant  sea  at  noonday. 
The  nights,  in  their  utter  silence,  are  in  wide  contrast  with  those 
to  which  I  have  of  late  been  accustomed  :  not  a  sound  is  heard 
but  the  plashings  of  the  fountains  and  the  murmurings  of  many 
waters. 

The  Sabbath  was  a  day  of  rest  indeed.  I  officiated  at  a  ser- 
vice held  in  the  hall  at  11  o'clock,  and  would  most  gladly  have 
attempted  to  make  the  day  one  of  spiritual  good  to  the  operatives 
,of  the  factory,  and  the  numerous  dependants  of  the  establish- 
ment, by  public  worship  with  them.  With  the  exception  of 
the  foreman  and  one  or  two  assistants,  however,  all  these  are 
foreigners — Portuguese  and  Germans,  whose  languages  I  do  not 
speak,  and  who,  moreover,  are  chiefly  Romanists,  not  accessible  to 
a  Protestant  by  preaching.  The  greatest  number  of  those  who 
are  employed  in  the  factory  are  females — Grermans  from  the  Im- 
perial colony  of  Petropolis :  the  male  portion  are  Portuguese  from 
Oporto  and  the  islands  of  Madeira  and  Terceira.  The  house-ser- 
vants, the  waiter,  coachman,  gardener  and  under-gardener,  are  Por- 
tuguese ;  the  chambermaid,  cook,  and  laundress,  free  negresses. 

There  is  a  Romish  chapel  within  three  miles  of  the  valley ; 
but  it  is  closed  for  the  most  of  the  year,  and  is  not  frequented  by 
the  work-people  here.  The  parish  priest,  like  most  others  in  the 
country,  is  living  in  a  state  of  open  concubinage,  and  is  in  other 
ways  unpopular  as  to  his  morals.  In  passing  through  Maj6,  we 
met  a  fine-looking  young  man,  handsomely  mounted,  followed  by 
two  negroes  on  mules.     I  was  struck  with  his  appearance,  and, 


284  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

remarking  it,  learned  that  he  was  a  son  of  the  padre  of  the  place, 
the  eldest  of  a  large  family.  We  saw  the  father  shortly  after- 
wards, and  received  a  bow  from  him  at  a  door,  as  he  was  about  to 
mount  his  mule.  This  animal  I  observed  to  be  one  of  the  finest 
of  the  kind  I  had  seen  ;  and  I  was  struck  with  the  peculiar  fashion 
of  the  stirrups  of  the  saddle ;  they  were  of  polished  brass,  richly 
wrought,  and  in  the  form  of  a  Turkish  slipper. 

December  ISth. — On  Tuesday  I  took  a  ride  of  two  miles  or 
more  on  horseback,  to  the  head  of  the  little  valley.  This  presents 
a  most  wild  and  romantic  scene  :  making  one  feel,  in  gazing 
upon  it, — while  mountain  piled  upon  mountain,  and  pinnacled 
rock  rising  above  pinnacled  rock,  tower,  almost  perpendicularly, 
thousands  of  feet  overhead, — as  if  you  had  not  only  passed  beyond 
civilization,  but  had  arrived  at  the  outer  edge  of  the  world  itself, 
where,  by  the  inaccessible  barriers  in  front  and  on  either  hand,  it 
is  more  impressively  said  than  even  by  the  waves  of  the  sea-shore, 
"  Hitherto  shalt  thou  come,  but  no  further." 

After  passing  Mr»  M 's  place,  the  only  road  is  a  mule- 
path,  wide  enough  for  a  single  animal,  and  in  all  respects,  except- 
ing the  tracks  of  repeated  use,  in  the  state  in  which  nature  formed 
it — ^not  a  stone  removed,  and  not  an  ascent  or  descent,  however 
abrupt  and  precipitous,  smoothed  or  graded.  A  few  scattered 
habitations  formed  of  wattled  sticks,  plastered  with  mud,  and 
thatched  with  grass,  are  seen  here  and  there  ;  but  less  comfortable, 
apparently,  and  less  attractive  as  dwellings,  than  the  meanest  log 
cabins  on  the  outskirts  of  pioneer  life  in  the  United  States.  A 
few  patches  of  mandioca,  and  one  or  two  of  Indian  corn,  alone 
indicated  any  cultivation  of  the  soil,  or  gave  evidence  of  a  pursuit 
of  industry. 

The  course  of  the  principal  stream  is  a  broad  bed  of  wild  and 
massive  rocks,  from  one  to  another  of  which,  ordinarily,  you 
may  step  dry-shod;  but,  in  rains,  these  are  covered  by  rush- 
ing and  foaming  torrents,  and  the  stream  is  impassable.    The  next 

morning  Mr.  M accompanied  me  in  a  second  ride,  up  a  valley 

branching  to  the  west  from  this,  called  the  Peak  Valley,  from  a 


PEAK    VALLEY   AND    RIVER.  285 

remarkable  pealrof  granite,  whicli  rises  at  its  head  :  one  of  those 
sugar-loaf  shafts,  so  common  in  the  geological  formation  of  this 
region.  This  valley,  too,  is  exceedingly  wild,  in  its  chief  features  ; 
and  is  watered  by  a  rapid  stream  called  the  Peak  Kiver,  tributary 
to  that  on  which  the  factory  stands. 

The  only  drawback  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  my  visit,  for 
the  first  three  days,  was  the  concealment  by  thick  clouds,  of  the 
pikes  or  fingers  as  named  by  some,  and  all  the  higher  ranges  of 
the  Organ  Mountains  whicli  immediately  overhang  San  Aliexo. 
These  had  so  often  been  the  object  of  admiration  at  a  distance, 
when  visible  from  Rio,  that  I  was  impatient  to  behold  them  close 
at  hand ;  but  had  been  tantalized  only,  by  an  occasional,  indistinct, 
and  momentary  glimpse,  through  the  mist  of  an  opening  cloud, 
of  a  fantastic  peak  or  shelving  precipice,  standing  high  in  the 
heavens  above  us.  Just  at  nightfall,  last  evening,  however,  the 
veil  was  entirely  lifted,  and  I  charmed  beyond  expectation  by  the 
scene  thus  disclosed  :  and  not  without  reason,  as  even  the  imper- 
fect sketch  accompanying  this  will  show. 

I  was  up  with  the  dawn  this  morning,  and,  finding  the  whole 
range  to  be  still  uncovered,  hastened  to  a  part  of  the  lawn  which 
commands  the  best  view,  of  it.  The  rising  sun  was  just  beginning 
to  illuminate  the  loftiest  peaks  with  a  bright  and  golden  light ; 
and  I  stood  for  an  hour  riveted  to  the  spot,  in  the  study  and  un- 
tiring admiration  of  a  scene,  gorgeous  in  coloring,  and  of 
unrivalled  sublimity  in  its  outlines.  By  nine  o'clock  the  mists 
from  the  valleys  had  again  enshrouded  the  whole  in  clouds. 

Though  the  present  is  the  rainy  season  of  the  year,  till  yester- 
day the  weather  was  bright  as  that  of  June  at  home  :  but  then, 
while  we  were  at  dinner,  it  began  suddenly  to  pour  down  in  tor- 
rents ;  presenting  every  thing  out  of  doors  in  a  new  phase.  At 
the  end  of  a  couple  of  hours  the  rain  ceased ;  and  the  paths  in 
the  lawn  and  the  road  soon  became  sufficiently  dry  to  allow  our 

taking  a  walk.     Mr.  M and  I  went  to  observe  the  efi"ect 

upon  the  river.  This  was  surprising.  From  a  bed  of  rocks, 
among  which  a  shallow  stream  was  lazily  flowing,  it  had  become 


286  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

a  swollen  and  irresistible  torrent :  wide  and  deep,  roaring  like  a 
tornado,  and  foaming  like  the  sea.  As  we  approached  a  venda, 
or  retail  store  and  grocery,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  up  the  valley, 
there  was  a  shout  and  call  for  us,  by  several  persons  collected 
there,  to  hurry  on,  as  if  something  unusual  was  to  be  seen. 
These,  at  the  same  time,  set  off  on  a  run  towards  a  point  near  by 
them,  which  commands  an  unobstructed  view  of  the  river  above. 

Mr.  M told  me,  as  we  hastened  forward,  that  the  sight  was 

the  approach  of  an  additional  flood  of  water  from  the  mountain. 
This,  though  not  now  so  remarkable  in  its  appearance  as  it  some- 
times is,  was  very  singular.  The  mass  of  water  tumbled  by  such 
showers  down  the  precipices  which  hedge  in  the  little  valley,  is  so 
great,  and  rushes  so  suddenly  into  the  bed  of  the  river,  as  in 
itself  to  exhibit  the  appearance  from  bank  to  bank,  of  passing 
over  a  dam.  The  perpendicular  elevation  of  this  new  body  of  water 
above  that  previously  forming  the  surface  of  the  stream,  was  a 
couple  or  more  feet. 

We  were  standing  at  the  time,  near  a  rude  mill  for  grinding 
the  root  of  the  mandioca,  and  the  conversion  of  it  into  farina — 
the  "  staff  of  life"  in  Brazil ;  it  was  in  operation,  and  the  pro- 
cess in  the  manufacture  going  on,  under  the  management  of  a 
half-dozen  nearly  naked  negroes.  The  mandioca  is  every  where 
seen  growing  in  plantations  of  greater  or  less  extent,  in  all  the 
tropical  parts  of  Brazil.  It  resembles  the  palma  christi,  or  castor 
oil  plant,  in  its  general  appearance,  more  than  any  other  growth 
that  occurs  to  me.  The  leaves,  though  smaller  and  of  a  darker 
green,  are  in  like  manner  digitated  or  finger-shaped,  and  the  stem 
and  branches  irregular  and  scraggy.  It  grows  to  the  height  of 
four  and  five  feet,  and  attains  maturity  at  the  end  of  eighteen  or 
twenty  months  after  being  planted.  The  roots  produce  the  fa- 
rina. These,  at  full  growth,  are  of  the  size  and  general  appear- 
ance of  a  large  irregularly-formed  parsnip.  After  being  brought 
from  the  field  in  wide,  shallow  baskets,  carried  by  the  negroes  on 
their  heads,  the  first  operation  is  to  scrape  off  the  outer  skin 
with  a  knife.     In  this  state  the  root  is  very  white  and  pure  in 


DIFFICULTIES   ENCOUNTERED    BY    MR.    M .        287 

looks,  bnt  poisonous  in  acrid  juices.  A  rasp  or  coarse  grater  is 
so  arranged  as  to  be  turned  by  a  water-wheel ;  against  this  the 
root  is  held,  and  becoming  finely  grated,  falls  into  a  trough  or  tub 
of  water,  prepared  to  receive  it,  and  is  reduced  to  a  pulp.  In 
this  state,  it  is  placed  in  baskets  and  pressed  with  heavy  weights, 
till  freed  from  the  water  and  its  own  juices.  It  is  then  dried, 
broken  up  or  powdered,  sifted  through  a  coarse  sieve,  and  placed 
in  a  very  large  flat  iron  pan,  having  a  furnace  with  slow  heat 
beneath.  In  this  it  is  thoroughly  dried,  without  being  allowed 
to  scorch  or  burn.     It  is  then  put  in  bags  for  use  or  sale. 

One  of  the  effects  of  the  rain,  was  the  appearance  of  numer- 
ous cascades  and  temporary  waterfalls  on  the  tops  and  sides  of 
the  mountains.  I  dare  not  venture  to  guess  even,  at  the  extent 
of  some  of  these.  They  foam  down  their  courses,  white  as  drift- 
ing snow,  and  look  beautiful,  amid  the  deep  green  of  the  forests, 
and  the  dark  precipices  over  which  they  pour. 

The  history  of  Mr.  M 's  enterprise  in  the  introduction  of 

cotton-spinning  and  weaving,  here,  is  quite  interesting,  and  has 
caused  me  to  look  upon  him  as  a  pioneer  in  such  business,  well- 
worthy  the  reputation  of  our  countrymen  for  energy,  invention, 
and  indomitable  perseverance ;  and  an  instructive  example  of  the 
importance  of  a  fixed  purpose  for  the  accomplishment  of  an  end. 
He  met,  at  first,  with  a  succession  of  disappointments  and  unex- 
pected obstacles,  which  would  have  utterly  disheartened  and 
broken  down  a  spirit  less  determined,  and  less  elastic  than  his  own. 
Brought  up  in  mercantile  pursuits  without  practical  knowledge  in 

'  mechanics  or  manufacture,  he  determined,  in  1846,  to  attempt 
the  establishment  of  a  cotton  factory  in  Brazil.  A  gentleman 
from  Rio,  then  in  New  York,  encouraged  him  in  the  project,  by 

"the  assurance  that  the  vicinity  of  Bio  furnished  ample  water- 
power  for  the  object ;  that,  abounding  in  hills  and  mountains, 
streams  of  water  in  sufficient  volume,  were  in  various  places 
poured  down.  The  Brazilian  minister  at  Washington,  also  ex- 
pressed great  interest  in  the  subject,  and  by  way  of  encourage- 
ment to  Mr.  M ,  gave  him  a  copy  of  an  act,  passed  by  the 


288  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

Imperial  Legislature  in  1842,  by  which  all  machinery  for  manu- 
facturing purposes  of  the  kind,  was  exempted  from  duty.  Under 
these  auspices,  he  expended  capital  to  a  large  amount,  in  the  ne- 
cessary machinery,  in  materials  for  the  large  structure  in  which  it 

was  to  be  put  up,  and  in  the  freight  of  both  to  Rio.     Mr.  M 

hastened  in  advance  to  Brazil,  to  make  choice  of  a  site  for  the 
establishment,  and  secure  it  by  purchase  :  but  only  to  meet  a  first 
disappointment.  The  streams  on  which  his  Brazilian  friend  had 
relied,  as  abundantly  ample  in  water-power,  would  have  scarcely 

sufficed,  as  Mr.  M expressed  it,  to  water  the  mules  necessary 

in  the  work.  An  exploration  of  the  entire  region  within 
thirty  miles  of  Rio  became  necessary,  for  the  discovery  of 
an  unfailing  stream,  with  water  sufficient  to  turn  a  large  wheel, 
and  in  a  situation  to  be  available.  He  could  gain  no  information 
on  the  point  upon  which  he  could  rely,  and  was  obliged  to 
make  the  search  in  person,  through  woods  and  wilds,  and  over 
marshes  and  moors,  and  in  ignorance,  at  the  time,  of  the  language 
of  the  country.  A  month  thus  occupied,  brought  to  his  know- 
•ledge  two  supplies  of  water  only,  that  would  answer  his  purpose : 
one  at  Tejuca,  nine  or  ten  miles  from  Rio,  and  another  in  the  di- 
rection of  Petropolis,  a  colony  of  Germans  in  the  mountains. 
That  at  Tejuca,  besides  being  already  leased  for  other  purposes, 
was  inaccessible  except  by  mules  as  means  of  transportation,  and 
therefore,  not  to  be  thought  of;  the  other  was  the  private  pro- 
perty of  the  Emperor,  and  not  obtainable  in  any  way. 

Such  were  the  prospects  of  Mr.  M ,  with  fifty  thousand 

dollars  worth  of  material  on  its  way  to  Rio,  accompanied  by  sev- 
eral workmen  under  high  pay,  for  the  erection  of  the  necessary 
buildings,  and  to  put  the  machinery  into  an  available  condition. 
After  all  other  search  had  proved  in  vain,  he  was  accidentally  led 
to  this  valley,  and  unexpectedly  here  found  much,  if  not  all,  he 
was  looking  for.  About  the  same  time,  the  shipment  from  the 
United  States  arrived ;  but,  notwithstanding  the  decree  furnished 
him  by  the  Brazilian  minister,  declaring  such  articles  free,  the 
officials  at  the  Custom  House  pertinaciously  demanded  the  duty 


DIGNITY  OF    OFFICE.  289 

upon  them.  This,  according  to  the  tariff,  like  most  of  the  im- 
posts here  on  aiij  thing  foreign,  was  high,  and  would  have  mate- 
rially increased  his  expenditure.  The  only  alternative  was  an 
application  for  relief  in  the  case,  to  the  minister  having  cogni- 
zance of  such  affairs.  Those  in  official  position  in  Brazil,  from 
the  Minister  of  State  to  the  most  insignificant  employ^  of  a 
bureau,  hold  the  dignity  conferred  in  high  estimation,  and  are 
inaccessible  in  proportion  to  their  rank.     Three  months  elapsed 

before   Mr.    M could  gain  the  audience  sought ;  and  then, 

only  to  be  told,  that  the  exemption  referred  to  in  the  decree  of 
the  Imperial  legislature,  was  exclusively  for  the  benefit  of  persona 
who  had  already  established  factories  and  needed  additional 
machinery;  not  for  those  who  were  introducing  machinery  for  a 
new  establishment.  The  decision,  therefore,  was  that  the  duties 
must  be  paid ;  but,  for  the  law  in  the  case,  he  was  referred  to 
the  attorney-general  of  the  empire.     This  dignitary  condescended 

to  grant  Mr.  M an  audience  at  the  end  of  an  additional  six 

weeks ;  but  decided  with  the  minister,  that  the  duties  must  be 
paid,  or  at  least,  deposited  with  the  collector  of  customs  till  the 
factory  should  be  in  operation.  Thus,  though  the  enterprise  was 
one  of  great  importance  to  the  interests  of  the  country,  and  such 
as  should  at  once  have  secured  the  favor  and  aid  of  the  govern- 
ment, the  entire  material  necessary  for  carrying  it  into  execution, 
was  kept  for  nine  months  in  the  hands  of  the  custom-house  offi- 
cers, greatly  exposed  to  rust  and  injury,  and  only  released  on  the 
payment  of  several  thousands  of  dollars.  It  would  occupy  too 
much  time  to  pursue  the  history  of  the  enterprise  in  detail :  in 
the  construction  of  a  dam  across  the  river  at  a  great  outlay  of 
money  and  labor,  only  to  have  it  swept  away  by  a  flood  from  the 
mountains ;  in  the  consequent  necessity  of  digging  a  long  race- 
way along  the  base  of  the  hills,  without  the  possibility  of  secur- 
ing the  adequate  number  of  laborers,  white  or  black ;  and  also,  of 
making  the  road  of  five  miles  to  the  turnpike.  Over  this  last  work, 
when  finished,  the  whole  of  the  material  for  the  factory  building 
and  the  machinery,  among  which  a  single  piece — the  shaft  of  the 
13 


290  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

great  wheel — weighed  7000  lbs.,  was  to  be  transported,  without 
any  of  the  facilities,  so  common  with  us,  for  accomplishing  it. 

The  mechanics  and  artisans,  brought  from  the  United  States  for 
the  erection  of  the  building,  were  found  to  be  incompetent  in  many 

respects ;  and  the  result  was,  that  Mr.  M was  obliged  himself 

to  perform  much  of  the  manual  labor  even,  and  instead  of  plan- 
ning, devising,  and  superintending  only,  to  become  practically  a 
carpenter,  mason,  machinist ;  and  even  freightmaster  and  carter,  as 
no  one  around  him,  whose  aid  he  could  secure,  knew  what  course 
to  pursue  in  an  emergency,  or  even  in  any  common  difficulty  that 
might  occur  :  he  was  obliged  first  to  discover  how  a  thing  was  to 
be  done,  and  then  do  it  himself  Still  he  persevered  through  every 
discouragement  and  disaster,  till  his  efforts  were  crowned  with 
full  success,  and  the  factory  was  early  in  operation. 

Though  it  is  only  in  the  more  common  fabrics  in  cotton  that 
the  manufacturer  here  can  yet  compete  with  British  and  American 
goods ;  and  the  article  chiefly  produced,  thus  far,  is  a  coarse 
cloth  for  coffee  bagging  and  the  clothes  of  slaves,  he  deserves  a 
medal  of  honor  from  the  government,  and  the  patronage  of  the 
empire,  not  only  for  the  establishment  of  the  manufactory,  but 
for  the  living  example  set  before  a  whole  Province  of  the  indo- 
lent and  sluggish  natives,  of  Yankee  energy,  ingenuity,  indefati- 
gable industry,  and  unyielding  perseverance. 


CHAPTEE    XXIV. 

Eio  DE  Janeiro. 

December  80;f^. — It  was  quite  a  trial  to  bid  adieu  to  the 
charms  of  San  Aliexo.  My  kind  host  and  hostess  were  earnest 
in  their  persuasions  to  detain  me  through  the  holidays ;  and  I 
would  most  readily  have  yielded,  but  for  an  engagement  to  offici- 
ate, on  Christmas  morning,  at  the  marriage  of  Miss  K ,  the 

daughter  of  the  American  consul,  to  Mr.   R of  the  family 

of  that  name,  already  so  often  mentioned.  The  groom,  though  a 
native  of  Brazil,  claims,  through  his  father,  the  rights  of  a  British 
subject ;  and  the  civil  contract  took  place,  in  conformity  with  an  act 
of  parliament,  in  the  presence  of  the  British  consul,  at  his  office, 
at  an  early  hour  of  the  day.  The  marriage  was  afterwards  sol- 
emnized by  me,  according  to  the  Protestant  service,  in  the  draw- 
ing-room of  the  American  consulate  ;   and,  Mr.  B being  a 

Bomanist,  a  third  ceremony  occurred,  as  at  the  wedding  of  Miss 
B ,  his  sister,  last  August,  in  the  private  chapel  of  the  coun- 
try house  of  Mr.  M ,  his  maternal  grandfather. 

The  company  assembled  at  the  consulate  was  large,  and  the 
retinue  of  carriages  by  which  it  was  conveyed  the  long  drive  to 
Mr.  M 's,  quite  imposing.  Four-in-hand  is  the  usual  turn- 
out here,  for  such  a  distance,  and  Mr.  Schenck,  the  American  min- 
ister, led  the  way,  next  after  the  bride  and  groom,  in  an  ele- 
gant chariot  drawn  by  four  beautiful  white  horses.     Commodore 


292  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

McKeerer's  carriage  had  four  fine  mules.  I  was  of  his  party.  The 
sky  was  slightly  overcast  with  fleecy  clouds,  and  the  coachman's 
box  being  so  lofty  as  to  overlook  the  walls  and  hedges,  which 
screen  so  much  of  the  taste  and  beauty  of  the  suburbs  from  view 
on  the  level  of  the  street,  in  defiance  of  every  Brazilian  idea  of 
dignity,  I  perched  myself  upon  it,  for  the  greater  enjoyment  of 
the  drive.  The  day  being  a  general  festival,  the  whole  popula- 
tion of  the  city  was  in  the  streets  in  holiday  dress ;  and  in  the 
extended  suburbs  through  which  we  skirted  our  way,  the  inhabi- 
tants— by  whole  families — were  everywhere  seen  in  the  verandahs 
and  lawns  and  door-yards  of  the  houses,  in  the  cheerful  and  quiet 
enjoyment  of  the  fiesta.  A  fondness  for  splendor  and  display  of 
every  kind — in  dress,  furniture  and  equipage — is  strikingly  a 
characteristic  of  the  people  here ;  and  the  showy  procession, 
recognized  as  a  bridal  cortege,  created  quite  a  sensation  as  it 
dashed  onward — manifestly  exciting  the  admiration  and  lively 
sympathies  of  the  observers. 

From  my  elevated  and  unconfined  position,  I  enjoyed  the 
whole  much ;  and  feasted,  the  entire  distance,  on  the  gorgeous 
display  of  flowers,  exhibited  in  the  succession  of  tasteful  gardens 
and  pleasure-grounds  which  I  overlooked. 

The  mansion  and  grounds  of  Mr.  M I  described  to  you 

in  connection  with  the  previous  wedding.  The  religious  ceremony 
now,  was  the  same  in  every  particular,  from  the  scattering  of  the 
rose  leaves  and  orange  buds  before  the  bride  in  the  procession 
from  the  drawing-room  to  the  chapel,  to  the  showering  of  the 
same  over  her  and  the  whole  company,  with  the  closing  benedic- 
tions at  the  altar.  A  concert  in  the  music-room  immediately 
succeeded  the  ceremony,  and  continued  till  the  banquet  was  served 
at  six  o'clock.  This  was  more  luxurious,  if  possible,  in  the  vari- 
ety and  costliness  of  its  delicacies,  native  and  foreign,  in  season 
and  out  of  season,  than  on  the  former  occasion ;  and  superb  in 
its  table-service  and  plate.  The  decorations  in  flowers  alone, 
would,  in  a  less  favored  climate,  have  formed  no  inconsiderable 
item  of  expense ;  while  the  fruits,  in  the  perfection  of  their  kinds 


NEGROES   IN    THE    HOLIDAYS.  293 

— all  freshly  gathered — pines,  figs,  oranges,  sweet-lemons,  grapes 
in  clusters  like  those  of  Eshcol,  bananas,  mangoes,  and  melons, 
were  most  artistically  arranged.  After  coffee  in  the  drawing- 
room,  dancing  was  commenced  ;  and,  taking  our  leave,  we  were 
safely  on  board  ship  shortly  after  ten  o'clock. 

Thus  passed  my  Christmas,  and  thus  is  our  compatriot,  Miss 
K ,  married ;  and,  in  the  language  of  the  world,  "  well  mar- 
ried." But  alas  !  married  in  Brazil :  away  from  an  American 
home  ;  away  from  the  intelligence  and  high  cultivation  of  Ameri- 
can life ;  away  from  the  pure  morals,  spiritual  aspirations,  and 
religious  privileges  of  American  Christianity  ;  away  from  almost 
every  thing  that  I  would  wish  an  American  girl  to  hold  most 
dear  ! 

January  7thy  1852. — This  festive  period  of  the  year  presents 
constant  opportunities  of  witnessing  the  slave  and  negro  popula- 
tion in  holiday  aspects.  For  many  nights  past,  Gloria  Hill,  at 
which  the  Commodore's  barge  usually  lands  in  our  evening  visits 
to  the  shore,  has  echoed  till  a  late  hour  with  the  songs,  the  wild 
music,  and  the  tread  of  the  dance  in  their  favorite  amuse- 
ments ;  and  yesterday  afternoon,  I  accidentally  became  a  specta- 
tor of  a  grand  gathering  of  the  kind.  It  was  "  Twelfth"  or 
"  King's  day,"  as  sometimes  called, — being  that  commemorative 
of  the  adoration  of  the  Magi  in  the  stable  of  Bethlehem ;  and  is 
a  chief  festival  with  the  negroes. 

I  left  the  ship  with  the  intention  of  taking,  once  more,  the  long 
walk  through  the  valley  of  the  Larangeiras  to  the  aqueduct, 
and  thence  to  the  city  by  the  hill  of  Santa  Theresa.  When  about 
half  way  up  the  Larangeiras,  however,  my  attention  was  arrested 
by  a  large  gathering  of  negroes  within  an  enclosure  by  the  way- 
side, engaged  in  their  native,  heathen  dances,  accompanied  by  the 
jvild  and  rude  music  brought  with  them  from  Africa.  I  stopped 
to  witness  the  scene :  a  counterpart,  in  most  respects,  to  those 
which,  during  the  first  period  of  my  residence  at  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  attended  the  orgies  of  pagan  revelry  there.  Many  of 
the  principal  performers,  both  among  the  dancers  and  musicians, 


294  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

were  dressed  in  the  most  wild  and  grotesque  manner — some,  as  if 
in  impersonation  of  the  Prince  of  Evil  himself,  as  pictured  with 
hoof  and  horns  and  demoniac  mien.  Many  of  the  dances  surpassed 
in  revolting  licentiousness,  any  thing  I  recollect  to  have  witnessed 
in  the  South  Seas ;  and  filled  my  mind  with  melancholy  disgust : 
the  more  so,  from  the  fact,  that  a  majority,  if  not  all  the  perform- 
ers, as  was  manifest  from  the  crosses  and  amulets  they  wore, 
were  baptized  members  of  the  Romish  Church — Christians  in 
name,  but  in  habits  and  in  heart  heathens  still.  Exhibitions  of 
this  kind  are  far  from  being  limited  here  to  extraordinary  holi- 
days, or  to  the  seclusion  of  by-places.  I  have  seen  them  in  open 
daylight,  in  the  most  public  corners  of  the  city,  while  young 
females  even,  of  apparent  respectability  and  modesty,  hung  over 
the  surrounding  balconies  as  spectators. 

I  know  not  how  long  the  revelry  had  now  been  going  on ;  but 
either  from  the  free  use  of  cacha,  the  vile  rum  of  the  country,  or 
from  nervous  excitement,  many  seemed  fairly  beside  themselves. 
These  danced  till  ready  to  drop  from  exhaustion  ;  while  shouts  of 
encouragement  and  applause  followed  the  persevering  efforts  of 
those  who  were  most  enduring  and  most  frantic  in  muscular  exer- 
tion. The  performers  on  the  African  drums  and  other  rude 
instruments,  who  a,ccompanied  the  monotonous  beating  and  thrum- 
ming upon  these  with  loud  songs,  in  solo  and  chorus,  of  similar 
character,  seemed  especially  to  enter  into  the  spirit  of  the  revel- 
ry, and  labored  with  hands  and  voice  and  a  vehemence  of  action 
in  their  whole  bodies,  that  caused  the  sweat  to  roll  down  their 
naked  limbs  as  if  they  had  just  stepped  from  a  bath  of  oil. 

By  the  time  I  had  finished  these  observations,  the  evening 
was  too  far  advanced  for  the  walk  upon  which  I  had  started,  and 
I  retraced  my  steps  to  the  Catete,  the  principal  street,  connecting 
the  city  with  the  bay  and  suburbs  of  Botefogo.  In  it,  towardg 
evening,  the  wealth  and  fashion  of  the  city,  especially  in  the  diplo- 
matic and  foreign  circles,  is  generally  met  in  carriages  and  on 
horseback  for  the  daily  afternoon  drive.  Many  of  the  equipages 
equal  in  elegance  those  in  New  York  and  other  of  our  chief 


AN   AMUSING   STREET    SCENE.  •       295 

cities ;  while  well-mounted  riders,  liveried  coachmen,  footmen,  and 
grooms,  give  to  the  whole  quite  the  air  of  a  metropolis.  That, 
however,  which  most  struck  me  on  the  present  occasion,  was  an 
amusing  side-scene.  Though  less  generally  the  custom  than  for- 
merly, it  is  still  the  habit  of  some  of  the  bourgeoisie  of  Rio,  at 
least  on  Sundays  and  great  holidays,  to  promenade  to  and  from 
church,  by  whole  families,  parents  and  children,  from  adults  to  in- 
fants, with  a  retinue  of  servants — in  their  best  dresses,  and  in  formal 
procession  of  two  and  two.  The  sight  thus  presented  is  interest- 
ing, and  often  amusing,  from  the  formality  and  stately  solemnity 
with  which  they  move  along.  The  servants  bring  up  the  rear,  and, 
whether  male  or  female,  are  usually  as  elaborately,  if  not  as  ex- 
pensively dressed  as  the  rest  of  the  family :  and  often,  in  the  case 
of  the  women,  with  an  equal  display  of  laces,  muslins,  and  showy 
jewelry.  Apparently  in  imitation  of  this  usage  of  the  white  pop- 
ulation— or  rather  of  the  Portuguese  and  Brazilian,  for  there  are 
no  whites  among  the  native  born  here — two  jet  black  African 
women,  richly  and  fashionably  attired,  came  sauntering  along 
with  the  most  conscious  air  of  high-bred  self-possession.  They 
were  followed  by  a  black  female  servant,  also  in  full  dress,  carry- 
ing a  black  baby  three  or  four  months  old,  and  decked  out  in  all 
the  finery  of  an  aristocratic  heir — an  elaborately  wrought,  lace- 
frilled  and  resetted  cap,  and  long  flowing  robe  of  thin  muslin 
beautifully  embroidered,  and  ornamented  with  lace.  Every  one 
seemed  struck  with  this  display ;  and  I  was  at  a  loss  to  determine 
whether  it  was  a  bona  fide  exhibition  of  the  pride  of  life,  or 
only  in  burlesque  of  it,  with  the  design  of  "  shooting  folly  as 
it  flies."  The  common  blacks,  crowding  the  doors  and  gate- 
ways, burst  into  shouts  of  laughter  as  they  passed;  while  the 
nurse,  at  least,  of  the  party  showed  evidence  of  a  like  disposi- 
tion. Indeed,  I  think  I  did  not  mistake,  while  looking  back 
upon  the  group,  in  seeing  the  fat  sides  and  shoulders  of  the  black 
ladies  themselves,  notwithstanding  their  lofty  bearing  and  stately 
step,  shake  with  merriment,  under  the  slight  drapery  of  their 
fashionable  and  elegantly  finished  mantillas. 


296  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

These  may  have  been  persons  of  wealth,  and  of  respectable 
and  even  fashionable  position  in  society ;  for  color  does  not  fix 
the  social  position  here,  as  with  us  at  home.  It  is  a  striking  fact, 
that  in  a  country  where  slavery  exists  in  its  most  stringent  form, 
there  is  little  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  prejudice  in  this  respect,  so 
universal  in  the  United  States.  Condition,  not  color,  regulates  the 
grades  in  social  life.  A  slave  is  a  menial,  not  because  he  is  black, 
but  because  he  is  a  slave.  In  Brazil,  all  the  avenues  to  wealth  and 
office  are  open  to  the  freeman  of  color,  if  he  has  character  and 
talents,  and  the  ability  to  advance  in  them.  As  I  recollect  to  have 
stated  before,  the  officers  of  the  standing  army  and  of  the  municipal 
guards  and  militia,  exhibit  every  shade  of  color  as  they  stand  side 
by  side  in  their  ranks  ,•  and  I  learn  from  Gov.  Kent,  that  the  lead- 
ing lawyer  of  Rio  is  a  mulatto.  Some  of  the  members  of  Congress, 
too,  bear  evidence  of  negro  blood  ;  and  the  Governor  says,  that  he 
has  met  at  the  Imperial  balls  in  the  palace  the  "  true  ebony  and 
topaz  "  in  "  ladies  and  gentlemen  black  as  jet,"  yet  glittering, 
like  the  rest,  with  diamonds. 

As  to  the  general  treatment  of  slaves  by  their  owners,  it  pro- 
bably does  not  differ  in  Brazil  from  that  exhibited  wherever 
there  is  irresponsible  power.  House-servants  in  Bio  are  said  to 
have  easy  times,  and  to  do  very  much  as  they  please ;  but  to 
judge  by  the  instances  I  have  seen  of  field  laborers,  I  fear  such 
have  but  a  sad  and  wearisome  life. 

The  eventual  effect  of  the  abolition  of  the  slave  trade,  will 
doubtless  be  to  ameliorate  the  treatment  of  the  slaves,  and  par- 
ticularly that  of  their  children.  In  former  years,  when  the  price 
of  a  slave  was  only  a  hundred  and  twenty  niilreis,  or  about  sixty 
dollars,  it  seemed  to  have  passed  into  a  settled  principle,  as  a 
mere  matter  of  profit  and  pecuniary  calculation,  that  it  was  cheaper 
to  "use  up"  the  blacks  by  constant  hard  labor,  and  by  extorting 
from  them  the  utmost  profit,  and  when  they  sunk  under  it  to 
make  new  purchases,  than  to  raise  children  or  to  extend  the  term 
of  service  by  more  moderate  labor ;  but  now,  when  the  price  of 
a  slave  has  advanced  to  six  and  seven  hundred  dollars,  the  esti- 


CUSTOM    HOUSE    REGULATIONS.  297 

mates  in  the  economy  of  the  case  will  be  different ;  and  "both 
parents  and  children  will  fare  better. 

The    incidental   mention   of  the    annoyance  experienced  by 

Mr.  M of  San  Aliexo,  in  getting  admittance  into  the  country 

of  the  machinery  requisite  for  the  establishment  of  his  factory, 
except  by  the  payment  of  enormous  duties,  reijiinds  me  of  noting 
some  facts  connected  with  the  regulations  of  the  Custom  House 
here,  derived  from  authority  on  the  subject  so  reliable  as  my 
friend,  the  American  Consul.  These  are  a  source  of  continual 
disgust  to  foreigners,  particularly  to  masters  of  vessels,  and  those 
engaged  in  maritime  matters.  They  are  fifty  years  behind  the 
age  :  reach  to  every  minute  particular,  and  seem  to  be  framed 
with  especial  reference  to  fines  and  penalties.  Indeed,  one  of 
the  items  in  the  annual  estimates  of  expected  receipts  by  the 
government,  is  fines  on  foreign  vessels;  and  to  seize  and  fine, 
appears  to  be  a  fixed  purpose  of  the  officials.  A  few  pounds  of 
tea,  a  pig,  cups  and  saucers,  and  other  small  articles  of  the  kind, 
not  on  the  list  of  stores,  or  in  the  judgment  of  the  visiting  in- 
spector an  extra  number  for  the  size  of  the  vessel,  are  at  once 
seized  and  sold  at  auction  at  the  Custom  House  door,  to  swell 
the  receipts  of  the  Imperial  treasury.  It  is  said  that  nothing  but 
a  metallic  substance,  held  before  the  eyes,  or  placed  in  the  palm 
of  the  hands,  will  prevent  these  petty  seizures.  Sometimes  the 
articles  seized  are  of  considerable  worth,  and,  in  addition  to  the 
loss  of  their  value,  would  lead  to  the  imposition  of  a  heavy  fine. 
No  discrimination  or  distinction  seems  to  be  made  between  cases 
of  accident,  ignorance,  good  faith  and  honest  intentions,  and  those 
of  designed  and  evident  attempts  to  smuggle  or  to  evade  the  law. 

It  makes  no  difference  whether  there  is  more  or  less  in  the 
shipment  than  the  manifest  calls  for;  if  too  much,  then  it  is 
evidence  of  a  design  to  smuggle  the  excess — if  too  little,  it  is 
evidence  of  fraud  on  the  other  side.  The  bed  they  make  is  that 
of  Procrustes.  If  there  is  a  barrel  of  flour — or  any  other  ar- 
ticle— more  or  less  in  the  cargo  than  in  the  manifest,  a  forfeiture 
and  fine  follow  with  unyielding  certainty.  One  regulation  is, 
13* 


298  BRAZIL    AND   LA    PLATA. 

that  a  master  shall  give  in  a  list  of  his  stores  within  twenty-four 
hours  after  his  arrival.  This,  it  is  expected,  will  include  every 
thing.  But  it  is  impossible  to  know  to  what  extent  at  times  the 
regulation  will  be  carried.  In  one  instance,  recently,  a  hawser — 
which  had  been  used,  and  was  in  a  long  coil  on  deck,  ready  for 
immediate  use  again,  and  was  necessary  for  the  safe  navigation 
of  the  ship, — was  seized,  on  the  ground  that  it  was  not  in  the  list 
rendered.  The  master  remonstrated,  and  set  forth  the  facts — 
protesting  that  he  should  as  soon  have  included  his  masts  and 
boats,  his  anchors  and  cables,  as  this  hawser ;  but  all  the  authori- 
ties of  the  Custom  House  refused  to  give  it  up,  and  the  vessel 
sailed  without  it.  It  was  only  after  the  question  had  been  pend- 
ing a  long  time  before  the  higher  authorities,  on  the  strong 
representation  of  the  American  Minister,  that  restoration  to  the 
proper  owners  was  made. 

No  person  is  allowed  to  go  on  board  any  vessel,  before  the 
discharge  of  the  cargo,  without  a  custom  house  permit.  A  poor 
sailor,  a  Greek  by  birth,  who  came  here  in  an  American  vessel, 
and  was  discharged  at  his  own  request,  was  passing  an  English 
vessel  in  a  boat  a  few  days  afterwards,  and  being  thirsty,  asked 
for  a  drink  of  water  :  the  man  on  board  told  him  to  come  up  the 
side  and  get  it.  He  did  so,  and  after  drinking  the  water  returned 
to  his  boat.  A  guard-boat  saw  and  arrested  him.  He  pleaded 
entire  ignorance  of  the  regulation  of  the  port,  but  in  vain :  he 
was  fined  a  hundred  milreis,  and  being  unable  to  pay,  was 
sentenced  to  be  imprisoned  one  hundred  days,  or  at  the  rate  of  a 
day  for  each  milreis  of  the  fine.  He  was  eventually  released, 
however,  through  the  intervention  of  Gov.  Kent. 

Even  the  consul  of  a  foreign  nation  must  obtain  a  written 
permit  before  he  can  visit  a  vessel  of  his  own  nation,  till  she  is 
discharged.  The  permit  in  any  case  is  in  force  only  for  a  single 
day.  It  must,  too,  be  stamped  at  a  cost  of  eight  cents.  Indeed, 
every  paper  of  an  official  nature  must  be  stamped.  No  note  or 
bill  of  exchange  is  valid,  unless  stamped  within  thirty  days  of  its 
date :  the  duty  or  the  stamp  being  proportioned  to  the  amount 


CHARACTERISTIC    WANT   OF   CONFIDENCE.  299 

of  the  note  or  bill.  The  revenue  derived  by  the  government  from 
this  source,  is,  of  course,  large. 

The  want  of  confidence,  indicated  by  the  minuteness  and 
rigid  exactment  of  these  custom-house  regulations,  is  said  to 
be  a  characteristic  trait  of  the  people.  There  is  great  external 
civility  towards  each  other;  many  bows  are  exchanged,  and 
frequent  pinches  of  snuff,  and  there  is  an  abundance  of  polite 
and  complimentary  speech ;  but,  full  and  frank  confidence  in  the 
intentions,  purposes  and  words  of  those  with  whom  they  deal, 
seems  to  be  greatly  wanting.  Some  light  may  be  gained  upon  this 
point  from  the  fact  that  by  public  opinion,  by  the  criminal  code, 
and  by  the  actual  administration  of  the  law,  offences  against  the 
person  are  looked  upon  as  of  a  higher  grade  than  the  crimen 
falsi.  To  strike  a  man  in  the  street  with  the  open  palm,  and 
even  under  extreme  provocation,  is  the  great  crime  next  to  mur- 
der ;  and  so  of  all  offences  against  the  person.  An  assault  is 
considered  an  insult  and  an  indignity,  as  well  as  a  breach  of  the 
peace. 

Direct  stealing  is  visited  with  condign  punishment;  but  all  the 
crimes  coming  under  the  charge  of  obtaining  money  or  goods 
under  false  pretences,  and  those  involving  forgery,  lying,  deception 
and  fraud  of  all  kinds,  seem  to  meet  with  more  lenient  treatment. 
Convictions  in  cases  of  such  crimes  are  not  often  obtained,  and 
when  they  are,  the  sentences  are  very  light.  A  short  time  ago, 
a  very  congratulatory  article  was  inserted  in  the  newspapers 
intended  in  perfect  seriousness  as  a  warning  to  evil  doers,  which 
called  public  attention  to  the  gratifying  fact,  that  two  men  had 
been  convicted  of  gross  perjury  in  swearing  in  court,  and  had  each 
been  sentenced  to  imprisonment  for  one  month ! 

It  is  but  just,  however,  to  say,  that  in  no  country  is  there 
greater  security  for  person  and  property.  Though  petty  theft  is 
not  uncommon,  robbery  is  almost  unknown ;  and  offences  involving 
violence,  daring,  and  courage  of  a  reckless  kind,  are  very  infre- 
quent. 

The  recent  trial  of  a  foreigner  on  a  charge  of  murder,  gave 


300  BRAZIL    AND    LA    PLATA. 

me  an  opportunity  of  observing  the  process  in  the  criminal  court. 
The  preliminary  measures  after  an  arrest  for  crime,  are  somewhat 
similar  to  those  which  are  taken  in  like  cases,  before  a  magistrate 
at  home.  The  party  is  arraigned  and  verbally  examined  by  the 
suhdelegado,  or  justice  of  the  district  in  which  the  crime  charged 
has  been  commited.  This  examination  is  reduced  to  writing. 
The  accused  is  asked  his  age,  his  business,  and  other  questions, 
more  or  less  varied  and  minute,  at  the  discretion  and  pleasure  of 
the  justice.  He  is  not  compelled  to  answer,  but  his  silence  may 
lead  to  unfavorable  inferences  against  him.  After  the  examina- 
tion of  the  prisoner  himself,  witnesses  are  examined.  If  these 
are  foreigners,  the  official  translator  of  the  government  attends, 
to  translate  the  answers,  all  of  which  are  written  down  by  the 
clerk.  The  witnesses  are  sworn  on  the  Evangelists,  the  open 
hand  being  placed  on  the  book,  but  this  is  not  kissed  as  with  us 
One  custom  struck  me  favorably,  in  comparison  with  the  business- 
like and  mere  matter  of  form  mode  of  administering  an  oath  in 
courts  at  home.  In  every  instance  here,  all  rise — court,  officers, 
bar  and  spectators,  and  stand  during  the  ceremony.  All  rise, 
too,  and  stand  while  the  jury  retires. 

After  the  preliminary  examination  is  completed,  the  magistrate 
decides  whether,  or  not  the  accused  shall  be  held  for  trial ;  and 
submits  the  papers  with  his  decision  to  a  superior  officer,  who 
usually  confirms  it,  and  the  accused  is  imprisoned,  or  released  on 
bail. 

It  is  only  in  criminal  cases  that  a  jury  forms  a  part  of  the 
judicial  administration.  As  with  us,  it  consists  of  twelve  men. 
Forty-eight  are  summoned  for  the  term;  and  the  panel  for  each 
trial  is  selected  by  lot,  the  names  being  drawn  by  a  boy,  who 
hands  the  paper  to  the  presiding  judge.  In  capital  cases,  chal- 
lenges are  allowed,  without  the  demand  of  cause.  The  jury  being 
sworn  and  empanelled,  the  prisoner  is  again  examined  by  the 
judge,  sometimes  at  great  length  and  with  great  minuteness,  not 
only  as  to  his  acts,  but  to  his  motives.  The  record  of  the  former 
proceedings,  including  all  the  testimony,  is  then  read.     If  either 


PUBLIC    EXECUTIONS   IN    BRAZIL.  301 

party  desire,  the  witnesses  may  be  again  examined,  if  present,  but 
they  are  not  bound  over,  as  with  us,  to  appear  at  the  trial. 
Hence  the  examination  of  the  accused  and  of  the  witnesses  at 
the  preliminary  process,  is  very  important  and  material.  In 
many  instances,  the  case  is  tried  and  determined  entirely  upon 
the  record,  as  it  comes  up. 

After  reading  the  record,  the  government  introduces  such 
witnesses  as  it  sees  fit,  and  the  prosecuting  officer  addresses  the 
jury.  The  defendant  then  introduces  his  witnesses,  and  his  advo- 
cate addresses  the  jury,  sometimes  at  considerable  length.  The 
prosecuting  attorney,  if  he  desires  it  again,  speaks  in  reply ;  and 
sometimes  the  argument  becomes  rather  colloquial  and  tart,  the 
questions  and  answers  being  bandied  rather  sharply. 

The  judge  charges  the  jury  briefly,  and  gives  them  a  series 
of  questions  in  writing,  to  be  answered  on  the  return  of  the 
verdict.  The  decision  of  the  case  is  by  majority — unanimity  not 
being  required,  even  in  criminal  cases.  The  questions  put  by  the 
judge  relate  not  merely  to  acts,  but  to  motives,  character,  and 
other  things,  which  may  extenuate  or  aggravate  the  offence  and 
sentence,  and  cover  usually  the  whole  case  in  all  direct  and  remote 
accessories.  A  case  begun,  is  always  finished  without  an  adjourn- 
ment of  the  court,  though  it  should  continue  through  the  day 
and  entire  night. 

In  the  arrangement  of  the  court-room,  the  judge  with  his 
clerk  sits  on  one  side,  and  the  prosecuting  officer  on  the  other ; 
the  jury  at  semi-circular  tables  on  either  side.  Two  tribunes  are 
erected,  one  at  the  end  of  each  table,  for  the  lawyers  engaged  in 
the  case ;  these  usually  address  the  jury  sitting.  The  lawyers 
not  engaged  in  the  suit  in  hand,  are  accommodated  in  a  kind  of 
pew,  under  the  gallery,  which  a  stranger  would  be  likely,  at  first, 
to  take  for  the  criminal's  box  or  bar.  • 

Public  executions  very  seldom  occur.  There  seems  to  be  a 
repugnance  to  the  taking  of  human  life,  if  there  is  any  possible 
chance  to  substitute  imprisonment  for  life,  or  a  term  of  years. 
Every  point  of  excuse  or  mitigation  is  seized  upon.     One  cannot 


302  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

wonder  at  this,  when  he  regards  the  mode  of  capital  punishment, 
the  barbarous  and  revolting  one  of  Portugal  and  Spain — a  relic 
of  barbarism,  in  which  the  condemned  is  ordered  up  a  ladder 
under  the  gallows,  and  then  forced  to  jump  off,  when  another  man 
immediately  ascending,  mounts  the  shoulders  of  the  poor  wretch, 
and  jumps  up  and  down  upon  him,  with  his  hand  over  his  mouth 
till  he  is  dead.  Those  who  have  witnessed  it,  represent  it  as  a 
most  awful  and  revolting  spectacle.  This  executioner  is  usually 
a  criminal  condemned  himself  to  death,  who  is  allowed  to  live  by 
agreeing  to  perform  the  savage  act  when  required.  The  old 
Portuguese  custom  of  gratifying  every  wish  of  the  condemned, 
as  to  food  and  clothing,  is  still  retained  ;  and  for  the  twenty-four 
hours  preceding  his  execution,  the  poorest  black  slave  can  order 
whatever  in  these  respects  his  fancy  dictates  :  segars,  and  wine, 
and  luxuries  of  every  kind  are  at  his  command. 

Montevideo. 

January  SOth. — Intelligence  from  the  Plata  led  to  the  return 
of  the  Congress  to  this  place,  on  the  24th  inst.  Mr.  Schenck, 
American  Minister  at  the  court  of  Brazil,  came  passenger  with  us, 
as  the  guest  of  Commodore  McKeever. 

During  the  three  months  of  our  absence,  public  interest,  in 
political  and  military  affairs,  has  been  gradually  centering  at 
Buenos  Ayres.  The  siege  of  Montevideo  being  raised,  and  the 
Argentine  troops  which  had  so  long  invested  her  having  become 
part  and  parcel  of  the  army  of  Urquiza,  and  been  withdrawn  by 
him  to  the  territory  of  which  he  is  captain- general,  preparations 
have  been  in  gradual  process  for  a  demonstration  against  Rosas, 
by  the  combined  forces  of  Entre  Rios  and  Brazil.  Aware  of  this, 
every  effort  has  been  made  by  the  wary  Dictator,  to  rally  his  parti- 
sans, 4o  give  fresh  force  to  the  prestige  of  his  name,  and  to  excite 
the  popular  feeling  in  his  favor.  To  aid  in  this,  all  the  winning 
power  of  his  accomplished  daughter,  has  been  brought  forward. 
To  afford  better  room  for  its  exercise,  a  public  ball  of  great 
magnificence  was  given  at  the  new  opera-house  in  Buenos  Ayres. 


INVASION    OF    BUENOS    AYRES.  303 

At  this,  Dona  Manuelita  held  a  kind  of  court ;  and,  after  having 
received  throughout  its  course  the  homage  of  a  queen,  was,  at  its 
close,  drawn  in  a  triumphal  car,  by  the  young  men  of  the  city,  to 
the  governmental  mansion.  New  levies  of  troops  had  been  raised 
and  drilled,  and  the  whole  city  and  country  placed  under  martial 
law. 

A  fortnight  ago,  Urquiza  and  the  allied  army  of  thirty  thou- 
sand, crossed  the  Parana  without  opposition ;  and,  invading  the 
province  of  Buenos  Ayres,  advanced  within  twenty  miles  of  the 
city.  It  is  now  a  week  since  Rosas,  leaving  Palermo  at  the  head 
of  twenty  thousand  soldiers,  took  the  field  in  person,  to  oppose  his 
further  progress.  It  is  said  that  previous  to  the  march,  Dona 
Manuelita,  attired  in  a  riding-dress  of  scarlet  velvet  embroidered 
with  gold,  and  splendidly  mounted,  reviewed  the  troops ;  and,  like 
Queen  Elizabeth  on  the  approach  of  the  Spanish  Armada,  de- 
livered to  them  an  animated  and  inspiriting  address. 

A  crisis,  it  is  evident,  is  not  far  distant ;  and  all  is  intense 
expectation.  The  universal  impression  is,  that  Rosas  must  fall. 
It  is  believed  that  there  is  treachery  around  him.  An  advance 
guard,  in  command  of  Pachecho,  one  of  his  best  generals,  has 
been  defeated  under  circumstances  which  leads  to  the  belief  that, 
like  Oribe  at  Montevideo,  this  officer  had  a  secret  understanding 
with  Urquiza ;  and  that  the  issue  at  Buenos  Ayres  will  speedily 
be  the  same  as  that  which  occurred  here  four  months  ago — the 
triumph  of  Urquiza,  through  the  desertion  to  him  of  the  oppos- 
ing soldiery. 

This    state   of    affairs   led    Mr.     Schenck   and    Commodore 

McKeever,  with  Secretary  G ,  to   proceed  at  once  to  Buenos 

Ayres.  Captain  Taylor  of  the  marines  was  of  the  party,  a  company 
from  the  guard  of  the  Congress  under  his  command  having,  with 
Lieut.  Holmes,  been  ordered  to  Buenos  Ayres  by  the  Commodore 
for  the  protection  of  American  citizens  and  their  property, 
in  case  of  the  overthrow  of  the  existing  power.  As  the  crew  are 
to  have  general  liberty  on  shore  here,  during  the  passing  fort- 
night— a  time  when  my  vocation  for  good  seems  to  be  suspended, 


304  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

and  which,  both  on  shipboard  and  on  shore,  is  to  me  ever  one  of 
trial — I  was  urged  much  to  accompany  the  party.  Two  reasons, 
however,  forbade  this — one,  the  still  precarious  state  o'f  a  lad, 
who,  the  day  we  entered  the  river,  fell  from  a  height  of  ninety- 
six  feet  to  the  deck,  without  being  killed  outright ;  and  the  other, 

an  engagement  to  ojQBciate  at  the  marriage  of  Dr.  W ,  one  of 

the   assistant   surgeons   of  the   Congress,   to  my  friend,  G 

H ,  a  daughter  of  the  American  Consul.     This  is  appointed 

for  the  5th  of  February,  till  when,  at  least,  I  must  remain  at 
Montevideo. 

I  have  been  twice  only  on  shore — once  with  Captain  Pearson, 
to  accompany  him  in  an  official  call;  and  again,  one  afternoon  for 
a  short  walk.  I  had  not  intended  being  away  from  the  ship  more 
than  an  hour ;  but,  shortly  after  attempting  to  return,  when  not  a 
half  mile  from  the  shore,  a  furious  tempest  came  rushing  upon  us. 
There  was  no  alternative  but  to  return  to  the  landing  before  it. 
It  was  so  sudden  and  so  violent,  that  before  the  boat  could  well 
be  secured  within  the  mole  by  the  crew,  the  whole  bay  was  in  a 
foam,  and  a  heavy  sea  rolling  over  it.  It  was  impossible  to  com- 
municate with  the  ship  the  next  day ;  and  the  following  night  was 
still  more  tempestuous.  The  hotels  of  the  city  afford  but  indif- 
ferent accommodations ;  and  I   availed  myself  in  the  detention 

of  the   ever  free   hospitality  of   Mr.   F .     I  improved   the 

opportunity,  too,  by  calling  on  the  various  families  of  the  British 
Church  before  I  should  meet  them  again  at  the  services  of  the 
chapel  on  the  Sabbath.  The  last  day,  however,  was  taken 
up  wholly  in  reading  with  absorbing  and  affecting  interest,  a 
manuscript  loaned  me  by  Mr.  Lafone,  and  recently  received  by 
him  from  Terra  del  Fuego.  I  mentioned,  under  a  date  at  Rio 
six  months  or  nine  ago,  the  arrival  there  of  H.  B.  M.  ship  Dido, 
on  her  way  to  the  Pacific,  with  orders  from  the  admiralty  to 
visit  Terra  del  Fuego  and  the  adjacent  small  islands,  in  search 
of  a  compjiny  of  missionaries  who  had  gone  from  England 
the  year  previous,  but  from  whom  nothing  had  been  heard.  A 
schooner  chartered  by  Mr.   Lafone,  and  sent  by  him  about  that* 


MISSION   TO    TERRA    DEL    FUEGO.  305 

time  with  the  same  object,  anticipated  the  errand  of  the  man-of- 
war,  with  melancholy  result.  The  whole  party,  consisting  of 
Captain  Gardiner  of  the  Eoyal  Navy,  Mr.  Williams,  a  physician, 
Mr.  Maidenant,  a  catechist,  and  four  boatmen,  perished  from 
hunger  and  exposure,  in  the  inclemency  of  the  last  winter  there. 
The  graves  of  some  were  found,  and  the  unburied  bodies  of  the 
rest.  Among  the  effects  is  the  full  journal  of  Mr.  Williams,  from 
the  time  of  his  departure  from  England,  till  within  a  few  days, 
as  is  supposed,  of  the  death  of  the  whole.* 

Their  object  was  the  conversion  and  civilization  of  the  poor 
degraded  savages  of  those  dreary  and  forbidding  regions.  Though 
Captain  Gardiner,  the  projector  and  leader  of  the  enterprise,  had 
navigated  the  waters  of  Cape  Horn,  and  become  familiar  with 
the  region  while  on  service  in  the  navy,  he  was  ignorant  of  the 
language  of  the  natives,  and  was  without  an  interpreter.  Failing 
to  establish  friendly  relations  with  the  brutish  people,  the  whole 
party  became  impressed  with  the  idea,  either  with  or  without 
sufficient  cause,  that  their  lives  were  in  jeopardy  from  them  ;  and, 
abandoning  the  shore,  in  a  great  measure,  they  took  to  the  water 
in  frail  and  ill-appointed  boats.  In  these  they  fled  from  bay  to  bay, 
and  from  islet  to  islet,  till  worn  out  with  fatigue  and  exhausted 
from  want  of  food,  they  fell  victims  to  sickness,  starvation,  and 
death.  Mr.  Williams,  to  whose  journal  the  remark  I  first  made 
refers,  abandoned,  at  very  short  notice,  a  handsome  practice  in  his 
profession,  a  choice  circle  of  friends,  and  a  happy  home  in 
England,  for  the  enterprise  of  philanthropy  in  which  he  so  soon 
perished.  From  the  record  he  has  left  it  is  evident  that  he  was 
a  deeply  experienced  and  devout  Christian :  simple-minded, 
frank,  and  pure  in  heart.  In  this  faithful  diary,  every  thought 
and  feeling  of  his  inmost  soul  seems  fully  unbosomed.  His  faith 
never  failed  him,  under  the  most  afflictive  and  dispiriting  trials ; 
and  his  soul  continued  to  be  triumphantly  joyous  amidst  the 
most  grievous  destitution  and  suffering  of  the  body.     I  read  the 

*  See  Memoir  of  Richard  Williams,  published  by  the  Messrs.  Carter. 


306  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

details  of  the  journal  as  penned  in  the  original  manuscript  by 
such  a  man  with  intense  interest ;  and  came,  off  to  the  ship,  deeply 
impressed  in  mind  and  heart,  with  the  sadness  of  the  tragedy 
which  put  an  end  to  the  record. 


CHAPTER     XXV. 

BlTENOS  AyeE9. 

February  12th. — Public  events  here,  for  the  last  few  days, 
have  heen  more  exciting  in  their  progress,  and  more  important  in 
their  issues,  than  any  that  have  occurred  on  the  Plata  for  many 
years.  On  the  evening  of  the  4th  inst.,  the  Hon.  Mr.  Schenck 
arrived  from  Buenos  Ayres  on  his  return  to  Brazil.  He  boarded 
the  Congress  from  the  steamer  in  which  he  came,  announcing,  as 
he  crossed  the  gangway,  the  utter  overthrow  of  Rosas  by  Urq-uiza, 
"  foot,  horse  and  dragoons ! "  as  he  expressed  it.  This  had 
occurred  on  the  morning  of  the  preceding  day.  He  left  the  city 
the  same  evening,  when  thousands  of  mounted  troops  were  pouring 
through  it  in  rapid  flight,  before  the  victorious  pursuers.  It  was 
not  yet  known  whether  Rosas  had  fallen  in  battle,  was  a  prisoner, 
or  had  made  a  safe  escape. 

Before  the  arrival  in  Buenos  Ayres  of  Mr.  Schenck  and 
Commodore  McKeever,  he  had  left  for  the  camp,  ten  miles  distant; 
and  they  did  not  see  him.  They  were  twice  at  Palermo,  however, 
on  visits  to  Dona  Manuelita ;  once  before  any  collision  between 
the  hostile  forces  had  taken  place  ;  and  again  on  the  evening  of 
the  1st  inst.,  when  it  was  known  that  an  advanced  guard  of  six 
thousand  Buenos  Ayrean  troops,  under  Ceneral  Pachecho,  had 
been  routed  the  day  previous,  and  the  general  made  prisoner  •  a 
foreboding  shadow  of  the  coming  event.     Till  then,  Manuelita  had 


308  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

sustained  her  position  with  great  spirit  and  energy  ;  receiving  all 
visitors — official,  diplomatic,  and  private — as  usual,  in  the  saloons 
of  the  Quinta,  and  conducting  with  ability  and  despatch  the 
aifairs  of  the  Home  Department  of  the  government.  Toward 
the  close  of  the  last  named  evening,  however,  when  surrounded 
by  those  only  who  were  in  her  immediate  confidence,  tears  might 
occasionally  be  seen  trembling  in  her  eye,  or  stealing  down  her 
cheek ;  but  only  to  be  dashed  away  on  the  approach  of  any  from 
whom  she  would  conceal  the  weakness.  It  was  now  well  known 
to  her  that  a  general  and  decisive  battle  might  at  any  hour  take 
place ;  and  that  Palermo,  immediately  in  the  line  of  march  from 
the  point  of  contest  to  the  city,  was  no  longer  a  place  of  safety 
for  her.  The  night  was  one  of  splendid  moonlight  in  midsummer, 
and  among  others.  Commodore  McKeever  and  Mr.  Schenck  re- 
mained with  her  till  a  late  hour  of  the  evening.  Before  they 
left,  a  walk  in  the  flower-garden  was  proposed  by  her ;  and,  tak- 
ing the  arm  of  Mr.  Schenck,  she  led  the  way  to  the  rose-covered 
arbor  mentioned  in  my  visit  last  year.  Standing  within  it  in 
silence  for  a  few  moments,  she  said — "  This  is  my  choicest  retreat 
at  Palermo  ;  it  is  here  that  I  come  alone,  to  be  alone ;  and  I  am 
here  now  for  the  last  time,  perhaps  forever !  "  adding,  as  the  tears 
fell  rapidly  down  her  face,  upturned  to  the  moon,  as  if  in  appeal  to 
Heaven  for  her  sincerity,  "  I  leave  Palermo  to-night !  Whatever 
the  issue  of  the  morrow  is  to  be,  I  know  our  cause  to  be  just,  and 
believe  that  God  will  give  to  it  success  !  "  In  this,  however,  she 
was  mistaken.  That  cause,  the  next  day  but  one,  was  utterly  de- 
feated ;  and  the  following  midnight  witnessed  her  flight  with 
her  father  disguised  as  an  English  marine,  and  she  in  the  dress 
of  a  sailor  boy — not  from  Palermo  only,  but  from  her  city  and 
country,  without  even  a  change  of  clothes,  to  find  safety  and  a 
conveyance  to  distant  exile,  under  the  protection   of  the  British 

flag. 

But  this  is  anticipating  the  order  of  events.  Rumors  of  the 
defeat,  on  the  1st  instant,  of  the  vanguard  of  the  army  of  Bosas, 
or   some   disaster  of    the   kind,   reached   the   city   on    Sunday 


PILLAGE    OF    BUENOS    AYRES.  309 

evening,  the  2d  inst. — the  night  on  which  Manuelita  forsook 
Palermo.  It  produced  little  impression  on  the  public  mind, 
however;  and  on  Monday  the  shops  were  open,  and  general 
business  transacted  as  usual.  At  daybreak  on  Tuesday,  heavy 
cannonading  was  heard  for  several  hours  in  the  direction  of 
the  opposing  armies.  Early  afterwards,  whispers  of  a  defeat 
were  afloat ;  and  a  straggling  cavalry  soldier  here  and  there, 
soon  followed  by  others,  in  groups  of  three  and  four,  began 
to  enter  the  city.  The  excitement  spread  rapidly,  till  three  guns 
from  the  citadel — the  signal  for  martial  law — confirmed  the  report 
of  the  overthrow,  and  led  at  once  to  the  shutting  up  of  every 
shop,  and  the  closing  of  every  door.  The  retreating  cavalry  now 
rushed  through  the  town  by  hundreds,  and  soon  by  thousands, 
hastening  from  harm's  way  to  their  homes  in  the  pampas  of  the 
South.  General  Mancilla,  the  brother-in-law  of  Rosas,  and  gov- 
ernor of  the  city,  despatched  messengers  to  the  foreign  ambas- 
sadors, reporting  the  place  to  be  defenceless,  and  soliciting  their 
intervention  with  the  approaching  conqueror,  for  a  halt  in  his 
march,  till  terms  of  capitulation  could  be  presented.  Permission 
was  at  the  same  time  granted  by  him,  for  the  landing  of  the 
marines  attached  to  the  different  foreign  squadrons  in  the  harbor, 
to  protect  the  lives  and  property  of  residents  from  their  re- 
spective countries — British,  American,  French,  and  Sardinian. 
Forty  American  marines,  including  those  from  the  Congress, 
were  disembarked  from  the  Jamestown,  under  the  command  of 
Captain  Taylor  and  Lieut.  Tatnall,  and  the  crew  of  the  captain's 
gig,  in  charge  of  Midshipman  Walker.  These  were  distributed 
in  the  central  and  richest  part  of  the  town — at  the  Embassy  and 
Consulate  of  the  United  States;  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  Carlisle 
of  the  house  of  Zimmerman,  Frazer  &  Co.,  the  head-quarters  of 
Commodore  McKeever ;  and  one  or  two  other  principal  American 
mercantile  establishments.  At  the  same  time,  a  hasty  consulta- 
tion of  the  diplomatic  corps  led  to  the  sending  of  a  deputation 
from  their  number  to  the  head-quarters  of  Urquiza,  in  behalf  of 
the  city.     The  chief  member  of  this  was  Mr.   Pendleton.     Mr. 


310  BKAZIL   AND   LA    PLATA. 

Glover,  the  secretary  of  our  commander-in-chief,  an  accomplished 
young  man,  well  fitted  for  the  service  by  his  talents,  and  the 
facility  with  which  he  speaks  the  principal  modern  languages, 
formed  one  of  the  mission.  The  special  object  was  to  solicit  from 
the  victorious  chieftain  an  order  to  restrain  his  troops  from 
entering  the  city,  till  the  authorities  could  make  a  formal  surren- 
der to  him,  and  thus  spare  the  inhabitants  the  violence  and 
rapine  they  had  reason  to  fear.  Happily  the  exhaustion  of  the 
victors  rendered  such  an  order,  for  the  time,  unnecessary.  The 
whole  force  of  thirty  thousand  men  had  been  without  refreshment 
of  any  kind,  except,  perhaps,  a  little  water,  for  forty-eight  hours ; 
and,  after  having  put  their  opponents  to  flight,  they  found  it 
absolutely  necessary  to  come  to  a  rest  themselves,  not  far  from 
the  scene  of  the  principal  conflict. 

It  was  not  till  noon  of  the  following  day,  that  Urquiza 
reached  Palermo,  and  established  his  head-quarters  there. 
Here  the  deputation  first  met  him,  and  readily  secured  the  inter- 
position of  his  authority  in  the  point  of  mercy  craved^  Notwith- 
standing this,  early  the  same  morning — that  immediately  succeed- 
ing the  battle — before  any  thing  had  been  heard  from  the  deputa- 
tion, the  sack  of  the  city  in  one  quarter  was  reported  to  have 
commenced  ;  and,  in  confirmation  of  the  rumor,  the  alarm-bell 
of  the  Cabildo,  or  town  hall,  sent  forth  an  incessant  peal.  It 
appeared  that  a  large  number  of  the  routed  cavalry  of  Rosas, 
finding  the  pursuit  by  the  victors  given  over,  remained  in 
the  outskirts  of  the  town  during  the  night ;  and  at  the  dawn  of 
the  next  day,  commenced  breaking  open  the  shops  and  houses  in 
the  more  remote  parts,  and  stripping  them  of  their  contents,  bore 
off  the  plunder ;  alleging  the  authority  of  Man  cilia  himself,  the 
governor  of  the  city,  for  the  outrage.  The  dress  of  the  troops 
of  both  armies  is  the  same ;  red  flannel  shirts,  caps,  and  cheripas 
or  swaddling  cloths.  Those  of  Urquiza,  that  they  might  be  distin- 
guished by  each  other  in  battle,  had  chosen  for  a  badge  a  square 
piece  of  white  cotton  cloth,  placed  on  the  shoulders  by  thrusting 
the  head  through  a  hole  in  the  centre,  in  the  manner  of  a  poncho. 


CHECKED    BY   THE   AMERICAN   MARINES.  311 

This  badge  these  marauders  assumed  that  they  might  be  mis- 
taken for  the  invading  soldiery.  Emboldened  by  success  in  the 
outskirts,  they  began  to  penetrate  the  central  parts  of  the  place. 
The  terrified  inhabitants  believing  them  to  be  the  invaders,  sub- 
mitted unresistingly  to  rapine  and  spoliation,  lest  they  should 
lose  their  lives ;  and  consternation  spread  every  where  with  the 
increasing  violence  and  robbery.  Many  of  the  largest  and  most 
valuable  plate  and  jewelry  shops  had  already  been  sacked ;  and 
the  spirit  of  plunder  grew  in  proportion  to  the  success. 

At  this  juncture,  while  a  party  of  twenty  or  thirty  of  these 
mounted  pillagers  was  engaged  in  bursting  off  the  door-locks  of  a 
rich  jeweller's  shop  with  powder,  a  company  of  American  marines 
and  sailors,  in  charge  of  Midshipman  Walker,  accompanied  by  Mr. 
G-raham,  the  American  Consul,  on  their  way  to  the  chief  scene  of 
pillage — turned  into  the  street  near  them.  The  robbers  at  once 
•fired  upon  them,  happily  without  injury  to  any  one.  Our  fellows, 
"under  the  authority  of  their  officers,  were  not  slow  in  returning 
the  salute ;  bringing  to  the  ground,  by  one  volley,  four  of  the 
leading  brigands.  Two  were  killed  outright,  and  two  mortally 
wounded.  The  rest  wheeled  instantly  in  flight,  and  were  seen  no 
more.  This  first  example  of  the  manner  by  which  to  check  the 
pillage,  led  at  once  to  a  rally  by  the  citizens.  They  immediately 
commenced  arming  themselves,  and  a  stay  was  put  to  the  progress 
of  what,  in  a  short  time,  would  have  become  a  general  sack  of 
the  town. 

Mr.  Glover  arrived  the  same  moment,  at  the  consulate  near 
which  the  above  scene  took  place,  to  report  the  success  of  the  mis- 
sion on  which  he  had  accompanied  Mr.  Pendleton.  He  had  passed 
a  sleepless  night,  and  been  in  the  saddle  many  hours ;  but,  as  there 
was  reason  to  fear  that  the  check  which  had  been  put  by  our 
marines  upon  the  pillage,  would  be  but  temporary,  and  that  the 
marauders  would  soon  return  in  augmented  numbers  to  avenge 
the  death  of  their  comrades,  as  well  as  to  load  themselves  with 
fresh  booty,  he  was  requested  by  Commodore  McKeever  to  return 
immediately  to  Palermo,  and  solicit  from  Urquiza  a  force  sufficient 


312  BRAZIL    AND    LA   PLATA. 

to  control  the  disorder  and  robbery  existing.  The  Chief  of 
Police,  at  the  same  time  made  his  appearance,  to  urge  the  same 
measure.  Accompanied  by  this  functionary,  Mr.  Glover,  there- 
fore, again  hastened  as  an  express  to  the  Quiuta.  He  was  ad- 
mitted immediately  to  the  chieftain,  though  his  companion,  the 
Chief  of  Police,  was  forbidden  his  presence.  The  object  of  his 
visit  was  accorded,  by  an  instant  order  for  the  entrance  to  the 
city  of  a  body  of  troops  sufficient  for  its  protection.  Informed 
of  the  result  of  the  rencontre  with  the  American  marines  and 
sailors,  he  gave  full  sanction  to  the  interference,  and  authorized  its 
continuance.  The  report  of  this  interview  was  quickly  spread 
through  the  city;  and  the  patrol  of  the  foreign  marines  and 
armed  sailors,  and  the  speedy  arrival  of  the  forces  promised  by 
Urquiza,  allayed  the  panic  of  the  inhabitants. 

The  troops  of  Urquiza  brought  with  them  orders  to  shoot 
down  all  persons  implicated  in  the  robbery  and  disorder.  This 
was  reiterated  by  the  Provisional  Government  appointed  by  him 
upon  receiving,  as  soon  as  he  had  taken  up  his  quarters  at  Palermo, 
the  deputation  from  the  city,  empowered  to  surrender  it  to  his 
mercy.  Under  the  orders  thus  issued,  three  or  four  hundred  per- 
sons, both  men  and  women,  were  summarily  put  to  death,  within 
twenty-four  hours ;  and  a  scene  of  such  frightful  carnage  was 
taking  place,  with  the  liberty  of  its  continuance  for  eight  days, 
that  the  humanity  of  Mr.  Pendleton  led  him,  accompanied  by  Mr. 
Glover,  to  hasten, once  more  to  head-quarters,  to  beseech  that  an 
immediate  stop  might  be  put  to  a  slaughter  in  which  it  was  so 
apparent  that  the  innocent,  through  false  accusations  of  robbery, 
might  become  the  victims  of  their  political  and  even  private  ene- 
mies. The  good  sense  of  Urquiza  led  him  at  once  to  appreciate 
the  justice  of  this  appeal  to  his  humanity,  and  to  countermand 
the  order  first  issued.  The  alarm  was  thus  quieted,  and  a  general 
feeling  of  safety  restored. 

It  is  quite  a  matter  of  congratulation  with  us,  that  the  marines 
and  sailors  of  the  Congress  and  Jamestown,  should  have  been 
so  eminently  the  means,  by  their  prompt  and  gallant  conduct,  of 


VISIT    OF    LIEUT.    TURNER.  313 

staying  a  frightful  evil ;  and,  that  the  prestige  of  the  American 
name,  through  the  frank  and  philanthropic  agency  of  Mr.  Pendle- 
ton and  Mr.  Glover,  should  have  had  such  ready  and  such  impor- 
tant influence  with  the  victor,  now  invested  by  right  of  conquest 
with  all  power  here. 

These  particulars  I  learned  before  leaving  Montevideo,  from 
my  friend  Lieut.  Turner.  This  officer  was  despatched  to  Buenos 
Ayres  by  Captain  Pearson,  immediately  after  the  report  made 
by  Mr.  Schenck  of  the  overthrow  of  the  Dictator.  He  went  in 
charge  of  the  American  propeller,  "  Manuelita  de  Rosas,"  which 
the  emergency  of  affairs  and  the  absence  of  every  suitable  tender 
of  the  kind  in  the  squadron,  led  Commodore  McKeever  to  char- 
ter for  the  time  being.  He  arrived  in  the  midst  of  the  excite- 
ment and  consternation  of  the  second  day  after  the  battle,  when 
the  pillage  was  at  its  height,  and  the  summary  execution  of  the 
perpetrators  by  the  troops  of  Urquiza  was  begun.  Being  a  fel- 
low Virginian  and  a  friend  of  Mr.  Pendleton,  he  was  invited 
to  a  seat  in  a  carriage  with  him  and  Mr.  Grlover,  on  their  last 
mission  of  humanity  to,  Palermo ;  and  thus  was  a  spectator  in 
the  city  and  its  environs,  and  at  the  Quinta  itself,  of  a  succession 
of  scenes  of  alarm  and  confusion,  of  bloodshed  and  affecting 
tragedy  in  various  forms,  which  it  is  not  often  the  lot  even  of 
a  naval  officer  to  witness.  The  city,  containing  more  than  a  hun- 
dred thousand  inhabitants,  was  under  pillage  and  in  panic ;  the 
wide  suburbs  were  thronged  with  ten  thousand  savage  troops, 
dashing  to  and  fro  in  various  directions ;  the  bodies  of  dead  men 
were  scattered  about,  after  having  been  shot  down,  or  having  their 
throats  cut,  not  in  the  conflict  of  battle,  but  in  wanton  pur- 
suit, or  by  order  of  a  drum-head  court-martial ;  women  in  com- 
mon life  were  rushing  here  and  there  in  terror,  and  ladies  of 
wealth  and  rank  hastening  in  their  carriages  through  these  scenes, 
in  agitation  and  affright,  to  the  centre  of  power,  to  throw  them- 
selves at  the  feet  of  the  conqueror,  in  supplication  for  the  lives 
and  fortunes  of  those  dearest  to  them. 

It  was  in  the  carriage  of  Madame  E -,  a  sister  of  the  fallen 

14 


314  BRAZIL   AND    LA    PLATA. 

Dictator,  that  the  party  made  the  excursion.  This  lady  her- 
self made  one  of  their  number ;  and,  under  the  favoring  auspices 
of  the  American  minister,  sought  the  presence  of  the  chief,  who 
now  occupies  the  palace,  and  wields  the  power,  so  long  and  so 
recently  in  the  undisputed  possession  of  her  brother.  The  ave- 
nues and  corridors  of  Palermo  were  crowded  with  mothers,  sisters, 
and  daughters,  pressing  for  audience,  on  like  errands  of  mercy. 
The  suits  of  many  of  whom,  I  am  happy  to  add,  were  not  in 
vain,  but  most  promptly  and  generously  accorded.  Such  were 
the  scenes  amidst  which  Mr.  Turner  passed  his  first  day  here. 
Those  of  the  second,  in  a  ride  of  fifteen  miles,  to  the  battle-field, 
under  the  guidance  of  an  adjutant  and  the  protection  of  a  guard 
furnished  by  Urquiza,  were,  if  possible,  more  exciting  and  more 
revolting  to  the  feelings,  and  scarcely  bearable  in  the  disgust 
created.  The  whole  way  was  marked  with  evidences  of  the  com- 
pleteness of  the  overthrow ;  and  the  scene  of  the  conflict,  strewn 
for  miles  with  the  bodies  of  the  slain  lying  still  unburied.  The 
whole  atmosphere  was  tainted  with  the  effluvia  of  the  dead,  both 
of  man  and  beast,  and  sad  demonstration  given  on  every  side  of 
the  horrors  of  war. 

It  was  his  representation  of  the  state  of  afiairs  that  led  me — 

the  marriage  of  my  friends  Miss  H and  Dr.  E, having 

been  duly  celebrated,  and  the  crew  of  the  Congress  still  in  the 
process  of  a  general  liberty — to  the  determination  of  making  the 
visit  of  a  few  days.  I  came  up  in  the  propeller,  still  bearing 
a  naval  pennant :  embarking  on  the  evening  of  the  10th,  and 
arriving  the  next  morning. 

On  landing,  I  found  every  hotel  and  lodging-house  crowded 
to  overflowing,  with  officers,  naval  and  military,  both  natives  and 
foreigners,  and  with  strangers  from  various  quarters,  who  had 
hastened  to  the  capital  on  hearing  the  result  of  the  conflict. 
After  long  search,  I  was  able  to  secure  a  small  sleeping-room 
only,  in  a  public  house  of  very  inferior  order ;  and  suff'ered  so 
much  during  the  night  from  the  oppressive  heat,  fleas,  and  mus- 
quitos^  as  to  have  made  up  my  mind  by  morning,  to  return  to  the 


PALERMO    IN    NEW   ASPECTS.  315 

Congress  the  same  day.  During  my  former  visit,  I  had  made  the 
acquaintance  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lore  and  Mrs.  Lore,  of  the  Wes- 
leyan  Methodist  mission  here,  and  had  been  so  much  interested 
in  them  by  the  brief  intercourse,  as  to  be  unwilling  to  take  my 
departure  now  without  a  call  at  the  parsonage,  of  a  few  minutes 
at  least.  Here  I  was  most  cordially  welcomed  ]  and  the  cause  of 
my  intended  return  becoming  known,  they  at  once  laid  an  inter- 
dict upon  my  purpose,  and  constrained  me  to  accept  a  room  in 
the  parsonage,  in  their  power  to  offer,  and  the  kind  hospitality 
of  their  house. 

I  had  brought  with  me  from  the  Congress,  with  the  purpose 
of  affording  him  a  peep  at  Buenos  Ayres,  one  of  the  lads  of  the 
ship,  who  had  been  commended  to  my  special  care  by  an  excellent 
widowed  mother  at  home,  and  who  had  merited  this  indulgence 
by  long-continued  good  conduct  in  his  position  on  board  ship.  His 
leave  of  absence  extended  to  the  passing  day  only ;  and,  knowing 
that  he  was  especially  anxious  to  visit  Palermo,  I  applied  to  Mr. 
Lore,  as  soon  as  it  had  been  determined  that  I  should  remain, 
for  aid  in  securing  a  vehicle  to  take  the  drive  with  him.  This  he 
at  once  gave ;  but  in  place  of  a  carriage  from  a  livery  stable,  as 
I  intended,  he  soon  appeared  with  the  handsome  equipage  of  one 
of  his  parishioners,  and  accompanied  us  in  the  excursion. 

The  morning  was  excessively  hot — the  character  of  the 
weather  for  the  last  fortnight.  No  rain  had  fallen  in  that  time, 
and  the  road  was  one  continued  bed  of  deep  dust,  kept  in  con- 
stant motion  by  the  thousand  and  ten  thousands  of  horses  and 
cattle,  which  the  large  force  in  bivouac  in  the  environs  of  the 
city  had  brought  together.  It  is  computed  that  on  the  day  of  the 
battle,  and  for  some  days  succeeding  it,  there  were  not  less  than 
three  hundred  thousand  horses,  within  the  circuit  of  a  few 
miles,  around  the  city.  The  number  of  cattle  may  be  esti- 
mated by  the  allowance  granted  to  the  troops  for  subsistence — 
one  animal  a  day  for  every  hundred  men  :  the  number  of  men  in 
both  armies,  the  conquering  and  the  conquered ;  amounts  to 
more  than  fifty  thousand,  and  the  daily  consumption,  therefore, 


316  BRAZIL    AND    LA   PLATA. 

is  at  least  five  hundred.  It  would  require  pages  to  describe  the 
novelty  and  wild  romance  of  the  scenes  witnessed  in  our  short 
drive.  The  riding  at  full  tilt,  to  and  fro,  of  unnumbered  Indian- 
like horsemen  in  the  picturesque  and  fiery  costume  of  the  native 
cavalry ;  the  flying  past  of  carriages  in  one  direction  or  another, 
through  the  thick  dust  of  the  road  ;  the  lassoing  of  cattle  amidst 
the  herds  crowding  the  open  plain ;  the  butchering  them  when 
entangled,  wherever  that  might  be — even  in  the  middle  of  the 
highway ;  and  flaying  them  while  still  alive,  and  scarcely  well 
brought  to  the  ground  ;  the  masses  of  hides,  and  horns,  and 
ofial  scattered  about  every  where;  some  freshly  stripped  from 
the  carcasses  and  others  in  a  shocking  state  of  putrefaction; 
the  hundreds  of  loose  horses  scampering  about  amid  clouds  of 
dust ;  and  unnumbered  savage  men,  in  all  attitudes,  and  in  every 
kind  of  grouping,  presented  sights  beyond  the  power  of  description. 
As  we  approached  the  Quinta,  such  objects  became,  if  pos- 
sible, more  varied  and  more  crowded  :  while  dead  horses  and  dead 
cattle  lined  the  road-side,  and  in  some  places  dotted  the  ornamen- 
tal canals  of  the  domain  with  their  bloated  carcasses.  The 
white  shell-dust  of  that,  which  was  once  the  private  drive,  cov- 
ered every  thing  so  thickly,  that  the  iron  railings,  now  bent  and 
broken  down,  the  orange  trees  and  willows,  once  kept  so  neatly 
washed  and  so  green,  appeared  as  if  just  powdered  with  meal. 
Indeed,  the  aspect  of  every  thing  in  this  respect,  was  very  much 
that  of  a  landscape  at  home  after  a  fall  of  snow,  while  the  trees 
and  their  branches  are  still  in  leaf.  The  house  itself — though 
surrounded,  as  when  last  seen  by  me,  with  guards  and  soldiery, 
and  in  the  same  dress ;  and  by  a  long  line  of  carriages  and  led 
horses  awaiting  the  visitors  within — had  a  closed  and  forsaken  air. 
The ,  reception  rooms  occupied  by  Urquiza,  are  not  in  the  front. 
Those  there,  in  which  we  had  been  received,  with  blinds  drawn, 
and  shutters  closed,  appeared  as  though  death,  as  well  as  desertion, 
was  there.  It  was  not  our  purpose  to  alight ;  and,  after  a  gen- 
eral survey  of  the  establishment  as  we  drove  by,  we  returned  to 
the  city  amidst  the  same  scenes  through  which  we  had  arrived. 


I 


URQUIZA    AT     PALERMO.  317 

The  next  evening  I  joined  a  large  party  of  American  ladies 
and  gentlemen,  residents  of  Buenos  Ayres,  in  a  visit  of  ceremony 
to  Urquiza  at  Palermo.  Notwithstanding  the  pressure  of  military 
and  state  affairs  in  the  disposition  of  his  troops,  and  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  provisional  government  for  the  city  and  province,  he 
has  been  constrained  to  hold  an  almost  uninterrupted  levee,  for 
the  reception  of  the  crowds  whose  interest  it  is  to  pay  court  to 
him.  Many  of  the  most  servile  of  the  partisans  of  Rosas  have 
done  this  in  the  most  sycophantic  manner ;  and  many  of  them,  I 
have  rejoiced  to  hear,  only  to  meet  his  ill-concealed  contempt  and 
pointed  rebuke,  by  a  refusal  to  recognize  their  presence  in  some 
instances,  and  by  prompt  and  stern  dismissal  from  the  audience- 
room  in  others.  One  incident  which  occurred  interested  me 
much.  Col.  Maximo  Terero,  the  favorite  aide-de-camp  of  Rosas, 
and  the  affianced  husband  of  Dona  Manuelita,  was  made  prisoner 
on  the  day  of  the  battle.  It  was  believed  by  many — ^judging  of 
the  course  Urquiza  would  pursue  in  the  case,  by  the  sanguinary 
precedents  of  Rosas  and  other  successful  aspirants  in  the  past 
history  of  the  country — that  he,  and  such  others  of  the  immediate 
partisans  of  the  Dictator  as  had  fallen  into  his  hands,  would  be 
severely  dealt  with,  if  not  summarily  shot.  Contrary  to  all  ex- 
pectation, Col.  Terero  was  at  once  set  at  liberty  on  parole. 
Touched  by  this  magnanimity,  Gen.  Terero  the  father,  a  con- 
fidential friend  of  Rosas,  and  long  his  partner  in  extensive 
financial  operations,  hastened  to  Palermo  to  wait  upou  the 
commander-in-chief,  and  to  thank  him  for  the  clemency  and  kind- 
ness he  had  shown  to  his  son.  He  approached  him  with  the 
following  words,  "  Gen.  Urquiza,  I  have  come  to  Palermo  to 
tender  to  you  the  unfeigned  thanks  of  a  father,  for  sparing  the 
life  of  a  son,  whose  life  and  liberty  were  in  your  power.  .  You 
have,  sir,  my  most  sincere  and  heartfelt  gratitude.  I  thank  you 
from  the  bottom  of  my  heart.  I  am  known  to  you  as  the  friend 
of  General  Rosas.  He  long  since  won  my  confidence,  has  long 
had  my  warm  friendship,  and  I  have  never  seen  cause  for  with- 
drawing these  from  him."     The  frankness  and  independence  of 


318  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

this  address  met  an  appreciating  spirit  in  Urquiza ;  and  seizing 
him  cordially  by  the  hand,  he  exclaimed,  "  Gen.  Terero,  I  am 
most  happy  to  see  you.  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  express  yourself 
as  you  have.  I  believe  what  you  say — yours  is  the  first  honest 
speech  I  have  heard  in  Palermo;  and  I  honor  you  for  it." 

At  the  time  of  our  presentation  by  Mr.  Pendleton  the  saloons 
and  corridors  were  crowded ;  and  the  audience  was  brief,  and,  on 
the  part  of  the  General,  unavoidably  constrained.  He  wore 
a  dress-coat  of  black,  with  white  waistcoat ;  and,  though  polite 
and  gentlemanly,  appeared  to  much  less  advantage  and  less  at 
home  in  the  drawing-room,  than  on  the  tented  field  of  Pantanoso. 
He  appeared,  too,  to  be  jaded  and  exhausted ;  which  he  indeed 
must  be,  after  the  fatigue  and  excitement  without  intermission 
of  the  last  fortnight.  At  the  end  of  fifteen  minutes  we  took 
leave ;  aud  after  a  turn  along  the  parterres  of  the  flower-garden, 
drove  rapidly  to  the  city,  to  escape  a  gust  of  wind  and  rain  which 
was  seen  to  be  gathering  with  great  blackness,  in  a  threatening 
quarter. 

On  Friday,  I  made  a  visit  to  the  hospital,  in  which  most  of 
the  wounded  of  both  parties  are  now  collected,  to  the  number 
of  five  or  six  hundred.  The  accommodations,  in  ordinary  times, 
are  limited  and  indifi'erent,  and  are  now  altogether  inadequate. 
The  surgeons  and  physicians  are  too  few  for  the  duty,  and  the 
services  of  Dr.  Foltz,  of  the  U.  S.  sloop  Jamestown,  have  been 
gratefully  accepted.  The  wounds  of  many  of  the  poor  creatures 
are  frightful ;  especially  those  caused  by  grape  and  round  shot. 
From  the  heat  of  the  weather,  and  the  length  of  time  that  elapsed 
after  the  battle  before  they  could  be  properly  attended  to,  such 
are  now  in  a  dreadful  condition.  Those  made  by  lances  are  chiefly 
from  behind,  and  show  frightful  thrusts  on  the  part  of  the  pur- 
suers. Many  of  the  wounded  have  died  daily ;  and  the  state  of 
many  more  is  hopeless.  The  edifice  appropriated  as  a  hospital 
is  itself  spacious  and  massive,  and  is  of  special  interest,  from 
having  been  the  residencia  or  palace  of  the  viceroys  of  Buenos 
Ayres.     Mr.  Lore  took  me  a  ride  also,  the  same  morning,  through 


ENGLISH    BURIAL    GROUND.  319 

the  suburbs,  in  a  semicircular  sweep  from  one  end  of  tlie  city  to 
the  other — the  base-line  of  the  circuit  being  the  river.  There 
is  little  to  interest  one  in  the  scenery,  the  whole  is  so  flat ;  and 
the  road  was  but  a  succession  of  dry  and  dirty  lanes,  lined  by 
mean  and  shabby  huts.  We  called  in  the  eastern  suburbs 
upon  an  English  family,  parishioners  of  Mr.  Lore,  who  occupy 
and  cultivate  as  a  fruit  and  vegetable  garden,  the  grounds  of 
what  appears  once  to  have  been  a  tasteful  and  luxurious  country- 
seat.  We  were  most  kindly  received,  and  refreshed  with  some 
very  fine  peaches  and  grapes,  the  former  the  last  gatherings  of 
the  season.  The  situation  is  an  exposed  one  in  times  of  public 
commotion  and  disorder  ;  and  we  were  shown  a  cavern,  screened 
and  hidden  almost  beyond  discovery,  where  the  females  of  the 
household  were  to  have  been  concealed,  had  the  city,  in  the  over- 
throw of  Rosas,  been  given  over  to  pillage  and  rapine.  In  one 
part  of  the  enclosure,  a  natural  terrace  attains  a  height  of  about 
twenty  feet  above  the  general  level.  To  this  I  was  led  as  one  of 
the  finest  points  of  view  in  the  neighborhood.  The  extent  of  the 
landscape  commanded  from  it  was  less  than  a  mile,  across  a  flat 
meadow,  bounded  at  that  distance  by  a  range  of  tree-tops,  above 
which  rose  the  masts  of  some  small  craft  at  anchor  in  a  stream, 
whose  banks  the  trees  line.  I  could  scarcely  avoid  a  smile  in 
hearing  this  called  a  "  fine  view,"  while  in  imagination  my  eye 
swept,  in  comparison,  over  that  spread  before  you  in  such  wide 
expanse  at  Riverside.  In  the  course  of  our  ride,  we  visited  the 
English  Protestant  burial-ground  ;  a  rural  cemetery  on  the  south- 
side  of  the  city.  It  embraces  several  acres,  surrounded  by  a 
substantial  wall,  entered  by  a  handsome  gateway  of  iron ;  and 
has  a  lodge  for  the  keeper,  and  a  small,  well-built  chapel  for  the 
funeral  service.  Besides  a  variety  of  prettily-arranged  shrub- 
beries, it  is  ornamented  with  two  or  three  avenues  of  the  Pride 
of  China,  which  grows  here  in  great  perfection  :  the  whole  forming 
an  attractive  and  rural  resting-place  for  the  dead. 

The  observations  of  the  day  were  completed  by  the  inspection, 
under  the  guidance  of  Mr.  Graham,  of  the  new  city  residence  of 


320  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

Rosas.  It  is  already  in  possession  of  the  provisional  govern- 
ment appointed  by  Urquiza,  and  its  elegant  saloons  are  converted 
into  offices  for  the  various  public  bureaus.  It  is  an  extensive 
and  finely-constructed  edifice,  one  story  in  height,  enclosing 
several  quadrangles,  and  covering  half  a  square ;  the  front  ex- 
tends the  length  of  a  "  block "  on  a  principal  street  near  the 
centre  of  the  city.  The  middle  section  of  this  contains  the 
suite  of  private  rooms  of  the  late  owner.  From  these  the  furni- 
ture had  been  removed,  preparatory  to  the  sale  of  all  his  effects. 
The  structure,  though  of  one  story  only  on  the  streets,  rises 
to  two  in  some  of  the  inner  sections.  The  whole  is  well  built, 
and,  for  this  part  of  the  world,  beautifully  finished.  One  of 
the  inner  courts  is  filled  with  orange  trees,  and  another  contains 
a  garden  of  choice  flowers.  A  lofty  tower  or  mirador  rises 
from  the  centre.  This  is  ascended  by  a  spiral  staircase  of 
mahogany.  The  view  from  it  comprises,  as  on  a  map,  the  city, 
river,  roadstead  and  shipping ;  and  the  country  in  every  direction 
as  far  as  its  flatness  allows  the  vision  to  reach.  It  conveys  a 
strong  impression  of  the  si^e,  good  order,  and  architecture  of  the 
city.  Every  prominent  building  is  in  conspicuous  view  :  all  the 
old  Spanish  churches — the  Cathedral,  the  Merced,  the  collegiate, 
or  former  Jesuit  College,  that  of  San  Francisco,  San  Domingo 
and  San  Miguel ;  and  the  Residencia  or  vice-regal  palace,  now 
the  general  hospital.  All  these  are  of  dark  stone,  and  are  time- 
stained  and  moss-covered  :  massive  and  enduring  piles,  with  many 
attractive  features  in  the  varied  taste  and  symmetry  of  their  archi- 
tecture, and  in  the  well-defined  proportions  of  dome  and  tower, 
pediment  and  belfry.  The  lantern  top  of  this  look-out  is  furnished 
with  a  fine  telescope,  by  which  every  object  is  subjected  to  near 
inspection ;  and  it  was  a  favorite  resort  of  the  Dictator,  during  his 
hours  of  seclusion  in  town.  One  story  of  the  tower  leading  to 
this  observatory,  is  a  handsomely  proportioned  apartment,  paved 
with  tessellated  marble  of  red  and  white.  It  is  said  to  have  been 
the  favorite  sleeping-room  of  Rosas,  when  he  remained  in  the 
city  over  night,  being  secure  from  approach  except  by  the  spiral 


GOVERNMENT    HOUSE.  321 

stairs,  which  could  be  easily  defended.  A  fixture  in  one  of  the 
galleries  of  an  open  court  into  which  the  chief  suites  of  rooms 
open,  particularly  struck  me  as  a  novelty  :  it  is  a  fireplace  with 
a  grate  and  handsomely  finished  marble  mantle,  so  that,  if  one 
choose,  he  may  sit  by  a  fireside  in  the  open  air,  when  the 
temperature  makes  it  desirable. 

As  I  looked  around  upon  the  spacious  and  well-appointed 
establishment,  through  which  Dona  Manuelita,  a  few  days  since, 
moved  a  princess,  surrounded  by  luxury,  and  oppressed  with 
the  adulations  of  courtiers  and  admirers,  I  could  not  but  anew 
deeply  sympathize  with  her,  in  her  flight  and  exile,  with  scarce 
a  change  of  apparel,  or  a  friend  to  cheer  her  under  her  reverse 
of  fortune. 

On  leaving,  we  made  an  efi'ort  to  gain  admission  to  the  Sala, 
or  hall  of  Representatives  near  by,  and  to  the  public  library  of  the 
city  ;  but  without  success,  from  the  absence  of  the  persons  having 
possession  of  the  keys.  A  Porteno — a  name  by  which  the  Buenos 
Ayreans  pride  themselves  in  being  called — of  intelligent  and 
gentlemanlike  appearance,  on  overhearing  our  application  for 
admittance  to  the  library  and  the  cause  of  its  failure,  said  plea- 
santly to  us,  "  It  is  well  for  the  credit  of  the  city  that  the  key 
cannot  be  found  ;  we  are  thus  saved  a  just  reproach  in  the  eyes 
of  intelligent  visitors." 

14* 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 

Bttenos  Ayees. 

February  2Ath. — On  Saturday,  I  accompanied  a  large  party 
of  ladies  and  gentlemen,  Americans  and  English,  in  a  visit  to  the 
scene  of  the  late  battle.  It  ia  called  indiscriminately,  "  Monte 
Caseros,"  from  the  name  of  the  country-house  at  which  Rosas 
took  position  in  meeting  the  enemy,  and  "  Moron,"  from  that  of 
the  nearest  hamlet,  a  mile  or  two  distant. 

We  were  oflf  at  an  early  hour.  The  morning  was  brilliant, 
and  delightful  in  its  freshness :  almost  too  cool,  in  contrast  with 
the  excessiye  heat  of  the  first  few  days  after  my  arrival.  The 
road  we  took  led  past  several  countrj^'-seats  in  the  suburbs,  at 
which  the  victorious  troops  were  still  quartered.  Their  horses 
and  camp-fires  had  made  sad  havoc  with  the  shrubberies  and 
plantations  of  these ;  many  of  the  trees  being  terribly  barked  by 
the  former,  while  their  limbs  had  been  stripped  ofi"  and  cut  up  for 
luel  by  the  latter.  Bivouac  after  bivouac,  and  rude  encampment 
after  encampment,  extended  miles  beyond  Palermo ;  while  the 
road  on  either  side,  and  often  in  its  centre,  presented  the  aspect 
of  a  continued  slaughter  house — the  hoofs,  horns,  hides  and  en- 
trails of  the  animals  daily  slain  for  the  subsistence  of  the  soldiery, 
being  scattered  about  every  where,  and  polluting  the  air  with  their 
ofi'ensive   efiluvia.      The  whole  distance   of   fifteen  miles,   gave 


BATTLE  FIELD  OF  MONTE  CASEROS.        323 

evidence  of  the  desolating  effects  of  the  retreat  of  the  vanquished, 
and  of  the  marauding  presence  of  the  victors. 

At  the  end  of  twelve  miles,  we  came  upon  the  military  village 
of  Santos  Lugares,  composed  of  brick  huts,  the  regular  canton- 
ment of  the  army,  from  whicn  Rosas  had  led  his  force  of  twenty 
thousand  to  Monte  Caseros,  on  the  evening  of  the  1st  instant. 
This  seemed  now,  literally,  a  "  deserted  village  :  "  every  building 
being  vacant,  with  the  appearance  of  having  suffered  utter  pillage. 
It  has  its  church,  and  an  extensive  common,  or  green,  ornamented 
at  one  point  by  a  clump  of  ombu,  a  species  of  gum-tree — the  chief 
emblem  of  the  country.  Shortly  after  passing  this,  we  caught 
view  in  the  distance  of  the  white  tower  of  Monte  Caseros,  the 
head-quarters  of  Rosas  at  the  commencement  of  the  battle.  Its 
mirador,  or  observatory,  commands  a  view  of  the  surrounding 
region ;  and  from  it  he  watched  the  advance  of  Urquiza,  and  for 
a  time,  the  progress  of  the  engagement.  He  then  descended  to 
the  field,  and  took  part  in  the  fight,  till  it  was  evident  the  day 
was  lost.  Persuaded  of  this,  he  seized  a  cartridge  from  the  box 
of  a  common  soldier ;  breaking  it  in  pieces,  he  blackened  his 
face  with  the  powder,  and  mounting  a  magnificent  horse,  in  readi- 
ness near  by,  succeeded  in  making  his  escape  amid  the  dust  and 
uproar  of  the  general  rout.  He  made  his  way  without  being 
recognized,  to  the  residence  of  the  British  minister  in  the  city. 
There  his  daughter  joined  him,  and  under  the  guidance  of  that 
gentleman  both  sought  refuge  at  midnight,  in  the  disguise  before 
mentioned,  on  board  the  flag-ship  of  Admiral  Henderson. 

Evidences  of  the  conflict,  or  rather  of  the  flight  and  pursuit, 
now  began  rapidly  to  multiply,  in  tattered  portions  of  clothing 
and  in  accoutrements — caps,  sword-belts,  cartridge-boxes,  bay- 
onet-sheaths, cuirasses,  and  broken  musical  instruments,  and 
drums.  What  seemed  the  most  singular  part  of  this  camp  equi- 
page, was  the  quantity  of  letters  and  manuscript  papers,  scat- 
tered widely  and  for  great  distances  over  the  ground.  Soon  the 
more  revolting  spectacle  of  a  dead  body  presented  itself  here  and 
there,  naked   and  ghastly,  blackening  in  the  sun,  in  a  frightful 


324  BRAZIL    AND    LA    PLATA. 

state  of  decomposition,  and  tainting  the  whole  atmosphere  "by  its 
impurity.  These  multiplied  rapidly  as  we  advanced ;  none  of 
the  slain  of  either  party  having  yet  been  buried,  excepting  such 
as  have  been  sought  for  and  discovered  by  personal  friends.  The 
brick  walls  of  the  country-house  and  those  of  a  large  circular 
dove-cote,  of  the  same  material,  whitewashed,  are  a  good  deal 
marked  and  shattered  by  balls  both  of  cannon  and  musketry- 
After  Rosas  had  left  the  observatory  and  the  house,  a  strong 
party  of  his  officers  kept  possession  of  them.  When  the  battle 
seemed  to  be  given  up,  it  was  supposed  by  the  victors  that  these, 
like  others  outside,  had  surrendered ;  but  on  attempting  to  enter, 
they  were  met  by  a  volley  of  musketry,  with  the  cry  of  "  Viva 
Rosas  !  "  This  led  to  an  immediate  onslaught  by  the  assailants  ; 
and  every  man  within,  amounting  to  thirty  or  forty,  was  at  once 
put  to  the  sword.  Till  within  a  day  or  two  past,  their  bodies  lay 
piled  upon  each  other  as  they  had  thus  fallen,  upon  the  stairs 
and  platforms  of  the  tower ;  and  since  having  been  dragged  out, 
still  lie  scattered  over  the  lawn  in  nakedness  and  putrefaction. 
Two  or  three  bodies  are  stretched  on  the  roof  of  the  dove-house 
also,  as  they  fell  on  being  shot  down  in  its  defence. 

Though  the  engagement  commenced  at  daybreak  and  contin- 
ued three  or  four  hours,  the  number  of  the  slain  is  thought  not 
to  exceed  three  hundred ;  and  the  wounded,  not  more  than  six. 
Still  these  numbers  are  quite  sufficient,  where  father  met  son  and 
brother  met  brother,  in  deadly  fight.  AVhile  we  were  on  the 
tower,  two  brothers  happened  there,  and  pointed  out  to  us  the 
positions  of  the  two  forces,  at  different  times  during  the  engage- 
ment. Both  were  in  the  battle,  one  with  the  troops  of  Rosas, 
and  the  other  with  those  of  Urquiza. 

With  the  exception  of  the  objects  mentioned,  there  was  little 
to  interest ;  and,  after  strolling  around  for  an  hour  or  two,  we 
returned  to  the  shade  of  the  ombu  trees  of  Santos  Lugares,  to 
partake  of  an  ample  lunch,  provided  by  the  ladies  of  the  party. 
One  result  of  the  excursion,  was  the  opportunity  it  afforded  me  of 
gaining  my  first  sight  of  what  is  here  termed  the   '  camp ; '  the  flat 


ENTRY    OF   THE   VICTORS   INTO    THE    CITY.  325 

open  country  of  the  pampas,  or  plains,  which  extend  hundreds  of 
leagues,  with  a  surface  more  level  and  lesb  wooded  than  that  of 
the  prairies  of  the  West  with  us  :  a  vast  sea  of  grass  and  thistles, 
without  roads  or  enclosures,  and  without  a  habitation,  except  at 
long  intervals.  Nothing  breaks  the  unvarying  outline,  unless  it 
be  now  and  then  an  ombu,  rising  on  the  distant  horizon,  like  a 
ship  at  «ea.  Travellers  upon  these  plains,  whether  on  horseback 
or  in  carriages,  like  voyagers  on  the  ocean,  direct  their  course 
over  the  trackless  expanse,  by  compass. 

The  19th  was  appointed  for  the  public  entry  of  Urquiza  into 
the  capital,  with  the  entire  allied  force,  cavalry,  infantry,  and 
artillery,  to  the  number  of  twenty  thousand.  Rain  during  the 
preceding  night,  laid  the  dust  and  freshened  the  air.  The  morn- 
ing was  pure,  cool  and  pleasant,  somewhat  obscured  by  clouds  till 
noon,  but  after  that  hour,  clear  and  brilliant.  Every  street  and 
every  house  was  gay  with  fluttering  flags  and  the  banners  of  all 
civilized  nations,  and  the  whole  city  in  gala  dress.  I  had  invita- 
tions to  the  balconies  of  several  private  houses  in  diff"erent  streets 
through  which  the  procession  would  pass ;  but  preferred  a  roving 
commission,  with  the  advantage  of  being  able  to  change  at  plea- 
sure my  point  of  view.  I  chose  a  stand  at  an  angle  of  the  Plaza 
Victoria,  or  place  of  victory,  the  principal  square  in  the  city, 
near  a  triumphal  arch  thrown  over  the  street  through  which  the 
procession  would  dehouche  upon  the  Plaza.  It  was  the  best  point 
for  observation ;  giving  a  near  view  of  the  chief  officers  and 
troops,  and  commanding  in  coup  d'oeil  the  masses  of  people  in 
the  open  square ;  the  decorations  of  the  monument  of  victory  in 
its  centre ;  and  of  the  public  buildings  facing  it,  as  well  as  of 
the  crowded  balconies  and  flat-topped  roofs  of  the  surrounding 
houses,  thronged  with  spectators  of  all  ages  and  both  sexes  in 
holiday  attire. 

Urquiza  as  captain-general  and  commander-in-chief,  with  his 
staif,  headed  the  columns.  These  had  formed  at  Palermo,  the 
cavalry  being  eight,  and  the  infantry  and  artillery  twelve  abreast. 
The  chieftain's  dress  and  that  of  his  staff  was  not  full  uniform. 


k 


326  BRAZIL    AND   LA    PLATA. 

With  a  military  coat,  he  wore  a  round  beaver  hat  and  scarlet  hat- 
band, and  held  a  riding- whip  in  his  hand  as  if  on  a  hunt.  The  red 
hatband,  besides  its  demi-savage  look,  gave  oflfence,  it  is  said,  to 
the  Buenos  Ayreans,  by  reminding  them  of  the  thraldom  of 
which  it  had  been  made  a  badge  under  Kosas;  and  which,  with 
the  waistcoat  and  every  thing  of  the  same  color,  they  had  indig- 
nantly and  with  abhorrence  thrown  off,  the  moment  they  found 
themselves  free  to  do  so.  It  is  also  said  that  every  demonstra- 
tion of  popular  feeling,  by  shouts  and  vivas,  had  been  interdicted  ; 
and  there  was  little  enthusiasm  manifested  in  this  way.  Bouquets, 
however,  were  showered  upon  the  conqueror  in  great  abundance, 
and  his  hands  and  those  of  his  immediate  suite  were  filled  with 
such  as  had  been  picked  up  and  handed  to  them.  It  struck  me, 
notwithstanding,  that  there  was  nothing  very  gracious  in  the  ex- 
pression of  countenance  or  manner  of  the  hero  :  that  something 
had  gone  amiss,  and  he  was  only  tolerating  with  decent  civility  the 
courtesies  shown  him.  He  declined  to  dismount  in  the  city,  and 
continued  the  ride  in  circuit  to  Palermo  again.  The  cavalry, 
constituting  the  principal  body  of  the  troops,  in  the  Gruacho  dress 
of  red  flannel  shirts  and  cheripas,  white  cotton  pantalets,  and  red 
caps  worn  a  la  brigand^  had  all  the  appearance  of  so  many  wild 
Arabs,  clothed  in  red  in  place  of  white.  They  were  barefooted, 
and  unshaven  and  unshorn ;  and  varied  in  complexion,  from  the 
red  and  white  of  the  Saxon,  here  and  there,  to  the  jet  of  Congo. 
Four  hours  were  occupied  by  the  procession  in  passing  a  single 
point ;  though  the  cavalry,  towards  the  close,  rode  at  full  charge, 
when,  especially,  they  bore  an  aspect  as  wild  as  that  of  the  desert 
itself  General  Lopez,  the  Governor  or  President  of  the  Province 
of  Corrientes,  second  to  Urquiza  in  command,  appeared  in  full 
military  costume,  as  did  Baron  Caxias,  chief  of  the  Brazilian  ' 
division.     Both  were  magnificently  mounted. 

The  booming  of  cannon  from  various  points  was  heard  during 
this  triumphal  march  through  the  city ;  and  a  stationary  band  in 
front  of  the  cathedral  played  at  intervals,  as  the  regimental 
bands,  one  after  another,  passed  beyond  hearing.     In  the  evening, 


TE    DEUM    IN    THE    CATHEDRAL.  327 

the  arcades  surrounding  the  eastern  and  southern  sides  of  the 
Plaza,  the  cabildo  or  town  hall  fronting  it  on  one  side,  the  cathe- 
dral at  one  corner,  and  the  monument  of  victory  in  the  centre,  were 
illuminated ;  and  for  an  hour  and  more,  there  was  a  good  display 
of  fireworks.  The  remaining  days  of  the  week  were  proclaimed 
holidays,  and  the  decorations  in  flags,  the  illuminations,  and  music 
at  night  were  continued. 

Two  days  ago,  a  grand  Te  Deum,  in  commemoration  of  the 
overthrow  of  Rosas,  was  celebrated  in  the  cathedral,  in  presence 
of  Urquiza  and  of  the  newly  appointed  provisional  government ; 
the  officers  of  the  allied  armies ;  and  of  all  the  dignitaries  of  the 
church.  An  immense  crowd  was  brought  together  by  the  interest 
of  the  occasion  itself,  and  by  the  spectacle  presented  in  so  large 
an  assemblage  of  persons  of  official  rank  and  power.  The  ordinary 
services  were  accompanied  by  a  rhapsody  in  the  form  of  a  sermon, 
delivered  by  a  young  ecclesiastic,  who,  from  having  been  chosen 
for  orator  on  such  an  occasion,  must  have  some  pretension  to 
talent  and  eloquence.  I  have  seen  a  copy  of  his  discourse  in 
Spanish,  and  will  give  a  hasty  translation  of  some  of  its  passages 
which  throw  light  upon  the  popular  view  of  the  public  character 
and  government  of  Rosas  ;  and  give  proof  also  of  the  adulations 
showered  upon  the  Conqueror.  The  address  occupied  more  than 
an  hour  in  the  delivery,  and  is  at  least  a  curiosity  as  a  sermon. 
The  text  from  the  Vulgate,  was  announced  in  Latin,  and  was  the 
opening  verse  of  the  song  of  Moses  after  the  destruction  of  the 
Egyptians  in  the  Red  Sea : 

"  Let  us  sing  unto  the  Lord,  for  he  hath  trmmphed  gloriously : 
The  horse  and  his  rider  hath  he  thrown  into  the  sea." 

The  introduction,  written  in  Dellacruscan  style,  and  delivered  with 
the.  action  of  the  stage,  consists  of  all  manner  of  apostrophes — 
to  the  Plata,  to  Liberty,  to  Peace,  to  the  Argentines,  and  to  the 
Virgin  Mary,  for  aid  in  the  office  of  his  ministry.  Two  general 
points  are  then  presented, — one  the  duty  of  thanksgiving  for  a 


328  BRAZIL    AND    LA   PLATA. 

deliverance  from  evil;  the  other  of  thanksgiving  for  blessings 
conferred.  Under  the  first  he  institutes  a  parallel  between  the 
rejoicings  of  Rome  on  the  fall  of  Nero,  and  of  those  due  from 
Buenos  Ayreans  on  the  overthrow  of  Rosas  :  thus — "  Tell  me, 
was  it  right  for  the  Romans,  adorning  themselves  with  garlands 
of  flowers  and  clothed  with  gladness,  to  hail  with  hallelujahs  the 
jubilee  of  their  deliverance;  to  throw  open  their  temples  and 
offer  incense  to  their  gods  in  testimony  of  their  gratitude,  when 
they  saw  the  dead  body  of  the  most  barbarous  of  their  sovereigns 
— that  monster,  whose  cruelty  was  not  satiated  with  the  blood 
even  of  his  own  mother,  and  w^iose  corruption  made  him  regardless 
of  the  most  sacred  obligations  of  the  marriage  tie  ?  Was  it  not 
right,  I  say,  that  the  Roman  people  should  hymn  songs  of  thank- 
fulness before  the  altars  of  their  gods,  in  view  of  the  still  palpitat- 
ing remains  of  Nero,  that  impersonation  of  cruelty,  who,  seated 
on  a  mount,  instead  of  weeping  like  the  prophets  over  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  capital  set  on  fire  by  himself,  rejoiced  in  the  death- 
shrieks  of  its  inhabitants  ?  I  do  not  believe,  gentlemen,  that  any 
of  you  condemn  this  conduct  of  the  Romans — do  I  say  condemn  ? 
I  know  that  you  justify,  you  praise,  you  applaud  it ;  and  if  it 
was  right,  if  it  was  laudable,  if  it  was  praiseworthy  in  the  Romans 
gratefully  to  acknowledge,  and  joyfully  to  give  thanks  to  their 
gods  for  a  deliverance  from  the  tyranny  of  Nero,  is  it  not  equally 
so  in  us  Argentines  to  ofi'er  to  the  true  God  the  incense  of  our 
praise  for  liberating  us  from  the  despotism  of  Rosas — that  tyrant, 
that  wild  beast,  that  scandal  of  our  nation,  that  shame  upon 
humanity,  that  scourge  of  society  and  of  religion,  that  minotaur, 
more  thirsty  for  blood  than  him  of  Crete  who  fed  on  human 
victims  ?  Yes  !  all  of  you  will  confess  that  it  is  just — and  the 
more  just  as  he  was  more  cruel  than  even  Nero.  How  more  so  ? 
Can  it  be  possible  that  there  ever  was  a  man  as  cruel  as  he,  much 
less  more  so  ?  Sirs,  the  lengthened  series  of  eighteen  hundred 
years  did  not,  indeed,  produce  such  a  man :  but  the  epoch  of  the 
barbarous  Dictator  of  the  Argentine  Republic  had  not  yet  arrived. 
The  nineteenth   century,  great  in  all  its  aspects  in  the  annals  of 


THANKSGIVING  SERMON.  329 

ages,  was  to  be  conspicuous  by  the  production  of  this  monster 
of  cruelty.  Yes,  gentlemen,  he  was  not  only  as  cruel,  but  more 
cruel  than  the  oppressor  of  the  Romans. 

''  Let  us  make  the  comparison.  But  first,  Argentines,  rise  from 
the  places  you  occupy — rise,  and  make  haste  to  close  the  temple 
doors  that  no  foreigner  come  in ;  and  if  any  such  should  already 
have  entered,  supplicate  them  to  retire,  that  they  hear  not  of 
the  horrors  perpetrated  by  a  son  of  our  soil.  Yes  !  rise,  hasten 
quick,  fly  !  But  why  ?  Alas  !  oh  sorrow  ! — stay  !  stay  !  it  is  too 
late  :  the  clamorous  echo  of  the  cry  raised  by  his  cruelty  has 
resounded  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  I  retract  my  call,  and  beg 
you,  Argentines,  to  fly — yes,  fly  to  the  portals  of  the  temple  : 
but  let  it  be  to  open  them  widely  from  side  to  side,  that  entrance 
may  be  given  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  whole  world — if  it  were 
possible,  of  the  entire  universe — to  be  witnesses  of  our  reclama- 
tion, and  hear  the  protest  we  solemnly  make  in  the  presence  of 
the  heavens  and  of  the  earth,  before  the  altars  of  our  God  : 
Neighboring  Republics  !  Foreign  nations !  all  ye  people  of  the 
earth  !  know,  and  transmit  to  your  descendants  from  age  to  age 
that  the  children  of  the  Plata  repudiate  this  monster  ;  we  despoil 
him  of  the  prerogatives  of  an  Argentine  ;  we  banish  him  from  our 
fatherland ;  and  by  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  entire  Republic, 
sentence  him  to  wander  from  place  to  place,  and  from  land  to 
land ;  and,  like  Cain  the  fratricide,  to  carry  the  mark  of  his  crime 
branded  on  his  brow,  that  his  own  ignominy  may  be  the  expiation 
of  his  transgressions. 

"  Yes  !  I  again  say,  Rosas  was  more  cruel  than  Nero.  Let 
us  analyze  the  facts  in  the  case.  Why  is  Nero  represented  in 
history  as  the  greatest  tyrant  among  sovereigns  ?  Hear  Tacitus  : 
'  He  was,'  says  the  historian,  '  the  assassin  of  his  mother,  of 
his  brother,  of  his  tutor,  and  of  an  immense  number  of  Chris- 
tians. He  set  Rome  on  fire. '  What  horrors !  and  the  tyrant 
of  the  Argentines,  did  he  perpetrate  such  enormities  ?  Some 
of  them  he  did — others  he  did  not.  But  the  credit  of  omitting 
to  perpetrate  those  which  he  did  not  commit  is  to  be  attributed 


330  BRAZIL   AND    LA   PLATA. 

to  a  dissimilarity  of  circumstances,  not  to  a  difference  in  moral 
principle  Rosas  did  not  sacrifice  his  mother,  but  it  was  because 
she  did  not  threaten  to  deprive  him  of  his  power.  He  did  not 
sacrifice  his  brothers,  because  none  of  them  attempted  to  snatch 
from  him  the  reins  of  government :  or  if  they  did,  they  fled 
beyond  his  reach.  He  did  not  sacrifice  his  tutor,  because  he 
never  had  one  ;  but  he  had  an  instructor  in  political  economy  and 
a  patron  in  his  early  public  career,  and  him  he  did  assassinate. 
Oh  !  sad  remembrance  !  Sirs,  you  all  know  the  horrible  death 
of  Maza,  President  of  the  House  of  Representatives, — that  noble 
patriot  and  good  man,  who  was  murdered  in  the  very  temple  of 
the  laws  :  not  in  its  vestibule,  but  in  the  very  sanctum  sanctorum  ! 
"  And  did  Rosas  sacrifice  a  large  number  of  Christians  ? 
Alas  !  would  I  were  not  under  the  necessity  of  answering  this 
question.  Well  then — I  will  not  do  it ;  but  answer  for  me,  ye 
numerous  auditors  who  listen  to  me.  Speak,  ye  many  widows, 
whose  hearts,  as  ye  listen  to  my  words,  are  broken  with  sorrow — 
let  the  tears  speak  with  which  you  have  been  fed  till  the  present 
day.  Speak,  ye  fathers,  who  still  pour  out  your  grief  in  sighs 
upon  your  children's  tombs.  Speak,  ye  numerous  orphans,  who, 
while  embracing  with  kisses  the  fathers  of  your  love,  have  sud- 
denly beheld  them  expire  beneath  the  point  of  the  dagger  !  Do 
thou,  0  city  of  Buenos  Ayres — do  thou  speak  :  and  speak  every 
province,  speak  every  town,  speak  every  family  of  the  Republic  ! 
Oh,  thou  year  of  1840  !  0  fatal  epoch  !  What  days  of  dark- 
ness, what  days  of  mourning,  what  days  of  tears!  your  memory  will 
forever  embitter  our  existence.  Ah  !  yes — in  every  street,  in  every 
house,  in  every  room,  we  then  stumbled  over  some  victim — ^^innocent 
victim,  for,  to  be  innocent  was,  in  the  eyes  of  that  wicked  one,  the 
greatest  of  crimes.  Humanity  is  horrified  by  the  frightful  truth  j 
The  story  seems  like  a  fable,  but  we  ourselves  are  witnesses  to 
the  facts.  Had  the  blood  which  was  then  shed,  been  mingled 
with  the  waters  of  the  mighty  river  rolling  beside  us,  they  would 
have  reddened  to  crimson.     Death  itself  seemed  exhausted  in  the 


ADULATION    OF    URQUIZA.  331 

execution  of  such  cruelty ;  and  the  dead  tliemselves,  could  they 
speak,  would  exclahn,  '  How  horrible  ! ' 

"  And  were  they  Christians  only  that  he  immolated  ?  Nero 
did  not  slay  his  priests ;  at  least,  history  does  not  say  that  he 
attempted  it.  And  Rosas,  did  he  ?  Ah  !  that  tyrant  not  only 
attempted  it,  but  placed  the  seal  upon  the  record  of  his  impieties 
in  the  blood  of  the  anointed  of  the  Lord.  That  blood  still  cries 
to  Heaven  for  vengeance,  and  like  the  infernal  furies,  will  follow 
and  torment  the  guilty  criminal. 

"  And  Rosas  ?  did  he  burn  the  city  ?  Would  he  had  de- 
stroyed it  rather  than  have  prolonged  our  martyrdom.  But  in 
this  there  would  have  been  too  much  humanity  for  him.  His 
object  was  to  protract  our  agony  the  better  to  enjoy  the  misery. 

"  Finally,  what  were  the  articles  of  Nero's  religious  faith  ? 
You  all  know  that  he  was  a  Pagan — how  then  could  it  be  strange 
that  he  should  persecute  his  adversaries  ?  And  Rosas,  was  he 
likewise  a  Pagan  ?  Would  that  he  had  been  ! — that  he  had  been 
so  openly !  His  wickedness  was  not  so  great  that  he  did  not  call 
himself  a  Catholic.  Ah  !  unhappy  man,  thou  art  accountable  for 
the  abuses  introduced  to  the  church  ;  for  thou,  like  another  Henry 
VIII.  of  England,  didst  constitute  thyself  the  priest,  and  the 
bishop,  and  the  Pope  of  the  Republic.  If  there  has  been  demor- 
alization in  society,  thou  art  accountable  to  the  Great  Judge  for 
it ;  for  thou  hast  interfered  with  the  most  sacred  rights  of  reli- 
gion, education,  and  laws ;  and  for  twenty  years  hast  set  back  the 
civilization  of  the  Republic,  and  made*  the  relentless  knife  the 
only  inducement  to  excel.  But,  it  is  enough  !  Thanks  to  the 
valiant,  the  all-powerful  Urquiza !  the  country  now  reposes  in 
tranquillity  :  we  are  free  from  the  despotism  of  the  odious  tyrant. 
"  And  is  it  not  right  that  we  should  be  thankful  to  the 
Almighty  for  the  benefits  received  at  his  hands  ?  We  have 
attained  our  liberty.  Oh !  incomparable  good  I  Oh !  gift  of 
inestimable  value  !  And  to  whom  shall  we  give  our  thanks,  if 
not  to  Thee,  0  Father  of  mercies  ? — to  whom  if  not  to  Thee,  0 
Griver  of  all  joy.     To  Thee,  therefore,  0  Fountain  of  all  felicity, 


332      ^  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

we  give  thanks  !  But  likewise  to  thy  name,  0  great  Urquiza  !  to 
thee,  whose  name  will  be  immortal ;  to  thee  our  gratitude  will  be 
eternal,  and  the  echo  of  our  acknowledgments  will  be  heard,  even 
to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  The  heart  of  every  Argentine  will  be 
a  temple  from  which  thou  wilt  receive  the  sweet  incense  of  our 
affection ;  and  tradition  will  for  ever  transmit  to  our  descendants 
the  name  of  him  who  has  restored  to  us  our  liberties.  Most 
excellent  sir,  we  salute  thee  as  the  morning  star  of  the  happy 
day  of  freedom  that  has  dawned  upon  our  country.  We  acclaim 
thee  as  our  Washington  !  The  Washington  of  the  Argentine 
Republic !  What  a  glory  for  you,  sir !  Argentines !  I  call 
your  attention  to  your  deliverer  :  fix  your  gaze  on  that  bold  cham- 
pion. Let  your  modesty,  sir,  suffer  me  in  the  transports  of  my 
gratitude  to  express  the  sentiments  of  my  heart.  Yes,  Argen- 
tines, fix  again,  I  say,  your  gaze  on  that  brave  warrior.  See  you 
those  scintillating  eyes  beaming  with  humanity  ?  they  have  suf- 
fered prolonged  vigils  for  your  liberty.  Behold  that  capacious 
brow — even  yet  bronzed  by  the  suns  of  the  camp  !  it  has  been 
absorbed  in  the  profoundest  meditations  for  your  liberty !  Do 
you  perceive  those  features  full  of  expressions  of  goodness  ?  they 
have  suffered  the  rigors  of  heat  and  the  inclemencies  of  the 
seasons  for  your  liberty.  Witness  ye  that  elevated  and  finely 
modelled  breast,  the  temple  of  a  magnanimous  heart  ?  It  has 
been  exposed  to  the  bullet  and  the  lance  of  the  tyrant,  for  your 
liberty.  Do  you  observe  the  nervous  arm  and  powerful  hand,  so 
well  known  in  battle  ?  tl*y  have  wielded  the  sword  valiantly  for 
your  liberty  :  yes,  for  our  liberty,  he  voluntarily  renounced  his 
sleep,  to  give  his  mind,  day  and  night,  to  deep  thought ;  for  our 
liberty,  he  sacrificed  his  own  comfort  and  well-being;  for  our 
liberty  he  hazarded  his  life  !  For  our  liberty  he  has  suffered 
hunger,  thirst,  and  conflicts ;  and  to  achieve  it,  impetuous  rivers 
have  appeared  to  him  but  smooth  rivulets,  enormous  deserts  like 
populous  plains,  the  longest  marches  but  short  excursions,  and 
the  greatest  obstacles  the  merest  trifles.  What  courage !  what 
heroism  !  what  patriotism  ! 


CLOSE    OF    THE    SECOND    ACT    IN   THE    DRAMA.       333 

"  What  fortune  is  ours,  Argentines,  to  have  a  man  of  so  much 
excellence,  in  him  whom  Providence  has  sent  to  liberate  us,  and 
give  to  us  the  guarantee  of  a  constitutional  government.  Eter- 
nal Father,  Grod  of  all  goodness,  what  thanksgiving  shall  we 
render  to  Thee  for  this  evidence  of  Thy  mercy  ?  " 

"With  this  fulsome  rhapsody,  terminates  the  second  act  of  the 
political  drama  of  the  Plata. 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 


MONTEVIDEO. 


March  SOth. — While  in  Buenos  Ajres,  we  were  indebted  for 
repeated  hospitality,  at  dinners  and  other  entertainments,  to  the 
American  Minister  and  other  fellow-citizens  from  the  United 
States,  including  my  kind  friends  of  the  Methodist  parsonage, 
where  I  was  a  constant  guest. 

We  left  on  the  25th  ult.  The  Montevideans.  exult  greatly  in 
the  overthrow  of  Rosas  ;  and,  on  our  return,  we  found  the  citizens 
in  the  midst  of  public  rejoicing,  and  various  festivities.  The 
12th  inst.  was  a  grand  gala  for  the  reception  of  the  troops  of 
the  Republic,  which  had  been  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Monte  Cas- 
eros.  Among  the  most  gallant  of  these  was  the  negro  regiment. 
A  few  days  afterwards,  I  witnessed  a  religious  ceremony  of 
thanksgiving,  at  the  cathedral,  characteristic  of  the  services  of 
the  church  here,  in  which  this  composed  the  audience.  March- 
ing into  the  public  square  in  two  detachments,  each  led  by  a  band, 
they  formed  in  line,  in  front  of  the  church,  and  entering  it  in 
military  procession,  filled  its  spacious  nave.  The  bands  took  a 
stand  on  either  side  near  the  chancel.  The  soldiers,  at  the  word 
of  command,  knelt  with  their  arms  reversed ;  the  priest  approach- 
ing the  altar,  opened  the  books  and  commenced  the  service,  not 
by  reading,  at  least  not  so  as  to  be  heard,  but  in  pantomime. 
One  of  the  bands,  at  the  same  time,  began  the  performance  of  an 


ADMIRAL    GRENFELL.  335 

opera,  in  whicli  it  was  relieved  at  intervals  by  the  other ;  while 
the  bell  of  the  priest  gave  signal,  from  time  to  time,  to  the  sol- 
diers, for  the  requisite  smitings  on  the  breast,  crossings  of  the 
forehead,  lips  and  chest,  and  bowings  of  the  head.  The  music  of 
the  opera  was  continued  without  intermission  for  half  an  hour, 
till  the  performance  at  the  altar  was  brought  to  a  close ;  and  then 
changed  to  a  lively  quick-step,  to  the  gay  movements  of  which, 
the  troops  again  marched  to  their  quarters. 

The  French  Admiral,  Lepredour,  and  the  Brazilian  Admiral, 
Grenfell,  both  received  official  intelligence  from  their  respective 
governments  by  the  last  mail-packet,  of  their  advancement  from 
the  rank  of  rear  to  that  of  vice-admiral,  in  acknowledgment  of 
the  importance  of  their  services  here.  The  21st  inst.  was  made 
a  festival  in  the  squadrons  of  both,  as  the  day  on  which  their  new 
flags  were  first  hoisted,  when  they  received  a  salute  from  the 
vessels  of  their  respective  squadrons,  from  those  of  other  nations 
here,  and  from  the  batteries  on  shore. 

Admiral  Grenfell,  an  Englishman  by  birth,  and  originally  an 
officer  in  the  Royal  Navy,  is  greatly  distinguished  for  his  gal- 
lantry, and  for  many  brilliant  acts  in  the  naval  history  of  the 
South  American  States  :  first,  under  Lord  Cochrane, — the  pres- 
ent admiral,  Earl  Dundonald — in  the  Chilian  Navy ;  and  after- 
wards under  the  same  officer  in  that  of  Brazil  on  the  Atlantic 
coast.  For  twenty  years  past  he  has  rendered  most  important 
service  in  the  Imperial  Navy ;  has  had  chief  command  on  occa- 
sions of  distinction  and  honor;  and,  still  in  the  confidence  of  the 
Emperor,  was  called  from  the  civil  appointment  of  consul-general 
in  England,  to  take  command  of  the  squadron  sent  to  facilitate 
the  operations  of  the  allied  forces  of  Entre-Rios  and  Brazil, 
against  Rosas.  This  he  successfully  did,  rendering  abortive 
the  defences  which  Rosas  planned  to  prevent  Urquiza  and  Caxias 
from  crossing  the  Parana — thus  removing  the  only  obstacle  in  their 
march  to  Buenos  Ayres.  For  this  service,  to  the  order  of  the 
Southern  Cross,  previously  conferred  on  him,  that  of  the  Grand 
Cross  of  the  Imperial  Order  of  the  Rose  is  added,  and  he  pro- 


336  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

moted  to  the  highest  rank  in  the  Brazilian  Navy.  He  has  been 
a  regular  attendant  on  the  Sabbath  in  the  chajDel,  in  which  I  offi- 
ciate on  shore ;  and  apparently  is  one  of  the  most  devout  of  the 
worshippers  there,  and  one  of  the  most  attentive  of  my  hearers. 

Shortly  after  my  return  from  Buenos  Ayres,  it  was  intimated 
to  me  that  some  appropriate  notice  of  the  important  political 
events  which  had  occurred,  not  only  in  the  relief  of  Montevideo 
from  siege,  but  in  the  overthrow  of  its  most  powerful  enemy,  would 
give  satisfaction  to  the  church  and  congregation.  On  the  suc- 
ceeding Sabbath,  therefore,  my  discourse,  in  addition  to  such  allu- 
sions as  I  thought  proper  to  make — in  regard  to  the  affairs  of  the 
Republic  of  which  this  place  is  the  capital — embraced  the  duty  of 
Protestant  Christians,  resident  in  it,  though  not  themselves  citi- 
zens, towards  the  people  and  their  rulers.  The  general  tenor  of 
my  subject  may  be  inferred  from  the  text,  "  I  exhort,  therefore, 
first  of  all,  that  supplication,  and  prayers,  intercessions  aiad  giving 
of  thanks  be  made  for  all  men  :  for  kings,  and  for  all  that  are  in 
authority ;  that  we  may  lead  a  quiet  and  peacable  life  in  all  god- 
liness and  honesty."  The  practical  application  which  I  attempted 
to  enforce  will  be  most  readily  condensed  by  a  quotation  from  a 
familiar  hymn : 

"  So  let  our  lips  and  lives  express 
The  holy  Gospel,  we  profess, 
So  let  our  works  and  virtues  shine, 
To  prove  the  doctrine  all  divine. 

Thus  shall  we  best  proclaim  abroad 

The  honors  of  our  Saviour  God  ; 
"When  His  salvation  reigns  within, 

And  grace  subdues  the  power  of  sin." 

Admiral  Grenfell  was  present.  I  was  in  doubt  as  to  the  light 
in  which  he,  a  monarchist  by  birth  and  an  imperialist  by  commis- 
sion, might  view  the  subject  as  illustrated,  in  some  portions,  by  the 
history  and  experience  in  faith  and  prayer,  of  the  fathers  of  our 
own  E-epublic ;  and  was  gratified  to  hear  that  he  had  expressed 


DEEP    SEA    SOUNDINGS.  337 

himself  in  terms  of  unqualified  satisfaction  with  the  entire  dis- 
course. 

April  20th. — Since  my  last  date,  we  have  made  a  cruise  of 
three  weeks  oflP  the  Plata.  In  addition  to  the  various  exer- 
cises, nautical  and  military,  for  which  chiefly  we  put  to  sea,  sev- 
eral interesting  experiments  were  made  under  the  direction  of 
Mr.  Parker,  the  flag-lieutenant  of  our  ship,  in  deep  sea  soundings. 
The  first  result  of  much  interest  was  obtained  on  the  3d  inst.,  in 
S.  Lat.  35°  25'  W.  Long.  45°  10'.  It  was  during  a  dead  calm; 
the  surface  of  the  ocean  being  every  where  glassy  as  a  newly- 
frozen  lake.  Not  a  ripple  at  any  point  met  the  eye.  At  9 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  a  reel,  on  which  had  been  arranged  ten 
thousand  fathoms  of  line,  furnished  by  the  Hydrographical  Bureau 
and  brought  to  the  Congress  by  the  sloop  St.  Mary,  was  fitted  to 
one  of  the  quarter-boats,  in  which  Lieut.  Parker  and  Mr.  Glover 
left  the  ship  to  try  the  depth  of  the  sea.  They  had  expected  to 
be  absent  a  few  hours  only,  and  took  no  refreshments,  not  even  a 
breaker  of  water  with  them  :  but  the  calm  continued,  and  inter- 
ested in  the  duty  in  which  they  were  engaged,  they  remained 
with  the  boat's  crew  the  whole  day  in  voluntary  fast.  The  sinker 
was  a  thirty-two  pound  shot.  Eight  thousand  five  hundred  fath- 
oms were  expended,  and  at  sunset  the  line  was  still  slowly  run- 
ning off  the  reel.  The  true  depth  gained  was  believed  to  be  only 
about  three  thousand  five  hundred  fathoms ;  the  remainder  being 
stray  line  carred  away  by  a  strong  submarine  current.  The  exist- 
ence of  this  was  conclusively  ascertained  :  its  rate  being  nearly  two 
miles  the  hour,  in  a  direction  opposite  to  the  surface  current,  which 
had  a  force  of  about  one  mile  per  hour.  The  determination  of  this 
fact  was  an  abundant  reward  for  the  labor  of  a  wearisome  day  in 
the  glaring  sun.  Nine  miles  of  the  line  were  lost.  Upon  at- 
tempting to  haul  it  in,  the  tension  became  so  great  that  five  men 
could  obtain  a  few  fathoms  only  per  minute ;  and  greater  force  being 
applied,  it  parted  a  few  hundred  yards  from  the  boat.  Diff"erent 
soundings  were  afterwards  satisfactorily  secured,  at  the  various 
depths  of  950, 1500,  1780,  2000,  2100,  and  2200  fathoms,  the  par- 
15 


338  BRAZIL  AND   LA  PLATA. 

ticulars  of  which  are  prepared  for  transmission  to  Lieutenant 
Maury.  Fifteen  thousand  fathoms  of  line  were  furnished  by  the 
Congress  when  in  Rio,  to  the  commander  of  H.  B.  M.  Frigate 
Herald,  whom  we  met  there ;  and  it  is  reported  that  soundings 
were  obtained  by  him  on  his  way  to  the  Pacific,  at  a  depth  of 
more  than  seven  thousand  fathoms. 

The  calm  which  enabled  us  to  make  our  first  deep  sounding 
continued  for  three  days,  with  a  temperature  like  the  finest  autum- 
nal weather  at  home.  The  sky  during  the  time,  was  clear  and 
brilliant,  both  by  day  and  night :  for  a  full  moon,  in  a  state  of  the 
atmosphere  peculiarly  translucent,  afforded  us  a  splendor  of  light 
that  enabled  the  crew  to  occupy  themselves  in  reading.  During 
this  time,  I  saw  men  at  their  stations  reading  books,  even  of  small 
print,  in  the  mid-watch.  Immediately  afterwards,  however,  we 
experienced  the  heaviest  gale,  with  the  wildest  and  most  tumul- 
tuous sea  we  have  known  since  leaving  the  United  States.  In 
a  small  vessel  it  would  have  been  fearful ;  but  the  Congress  is  so 
large,  and  so  perfect  a  sea-bird  in  her  motions,  that  she  rides  and 
sports  among  the  billows  with  an  ease  and  triumph  that  call 
forth  admiration  only.  She  dashes  from  her  bows  and  lofty  bul- 
warks, in  seeming  playfulness,  seas  which  would  sweep  the  decks 
of  a  small  craft,  or  bury  them  beneath  an  avalanche  of  water. 
Though  the  gale  was  heavy,  the  sky  was  bright ;  and  in  the  after- 
noon, especially  when  the  rays  of  the  sun  fell  obliquely  upon 

"The  restless,  seething,  stormy  sea!  " 

the  scene  was  magnificent.  As  sea  after  sea  rose  high  against  the 
sun,  it  would  change  in  hue  from  the  blue  of  indigo  to  emerald 
green.  Then  cresting  into  snowy  whiteness,  would  scatter  itself 
far  and  wide,  in  beds  of  sparkling  diamonds.  The  tumultuous 
rushing  and  roaring  of  mighty  waters  in  endless  forms  around  us; 
the  deep  roll  of  the  frigate  to  the  leeward ;  and  then,  the  rapid 
plunge  headforemost  down  a  mountain,  as  it  were,  into  a  yawning 
gulf  below,  made  the  afternoon  to  me  one  of  admiration  and 
delight. 


SEA    SCENE.  339 

Below  decks,  it  is  true,  every  thing  was  uncomfortable  enough. 
The  ward-room  was  dark  and  dreary  ;  and  the  gun-deck  all  afloat. 
Still,  as  is  generally  the  case  with  the  sailor  in  such  rough 
weather,  all  hands  were  in  high  spirits,  and  the  deeper  the  roll  of 
the  ship — though  by  it,  one  half  the  crew  should  be  pitched 
across  the  ship ;  and  the  heavier  the  plunge  downward,  though 
followed  by  rivers  of  water  taken  in  at  the  hawser-holes  and 
bridle-ports — especially,  if  those  on  deck  were  at  the  same  time 
drenched  by  the  breaking  on  board  of  a  sea,  or  by  being  thrown 
into  the  floods  rushing  along  the  water-ways,  the  louder  was  the 
laughter  and  the  greater  the  glee. 

The  poop-deck,  from  its  elevation  and  the  command  it  gives 
of  every  thing  far  and  near,  is  a  favorite  resort  of  the  officers. 
It  is  also,  in  ordinary  circumstances,  a  place  of  etiquette.  To 
sit  while  there,  is  not  allowable,  at  least  in  the  day-time,  except  to 
the  Commodore  and  Captain,  or  such  as  they  may  invite  beside 
them ;  much  less  is  it  etiquette  to  lie  there.  But  now,  the  wind 
was  too  strong  and  withal  too  cold  to  stand,  or  even  to  sit ;  and 
going  up  after  dinner,  and  finding  it  abandoned  except  by  a  sailor 
at  the  main-halliards,  wrapping  myself  in  a  pea-jacket,  I  stretched 
myself  in  a  corner  to  the  windward,  flat  upon  the  deck,  with  my 
face  partially  protected  by  the  hammock-nettings,  turned  to  the 
sea.  The  position  gave  me  an  unobstructed  view  of  the  r?^ging 
and  roaring  deep ;  and  for  an  hour  and  more,  I  exulted  in  the  con- 
tortions of  the  storm  and  the  ever  varying  beauty  and  sublimity 
of  the  scene.  Towards  evening,  the  appearance  of  the  Commo- 
dore and  Captain  brought  me  to  my  feet ;  and  we  together  en- 
joyed the  spectacle  till  the  setting  sun  and  gj^theying  night 
dropped  a  curtain  of  darkness  over  it, 

Pesteeeo. 

May  22c?.— rThe  Congress  is  again  at  the  island  of  St.  Cath- 
erine. We  came  to  anchor  at  Santa  Cruz,  on  Saturday  the  15th 
inst. ;  and  on  the  following  Monday  morning,  I  came  to  this  place 
in  company  with  our  Master  S and  Secretary  G- .     When 


340  BRAZIL    AND    LA   PLATA. 

here  last,  the  principal  hotel  was  admirably  kept  by  an  American. 
He  has  since  died,  and  his  place  is  well  supplied  by  a  Mahonese, 
named  Salvador.  After  having  engaged  rooms  for  the  night  and 
ordered  our  dinner,  we  sallied  forth  for  a  walk  in  the  suburbs  of  the 
town.  It  is  so  long  since  we  have  been  within  reach  of  any  thing 
like  rural  beauty,  that,  surrounded  by  it  here,  we  were  like  school- 
boys turned  loose  for  play;  and  in  the  brilliancy  of  the  morning 
and  elasticity  of  a  bracing  air,  felt,  as  one  of  us  expressed  it, 
ready  to  fly.  The  south  wind  blew  freshly  over  the  hills  and 
through  the  trees,  and,  at  one  point  in  our  walk,  with  novel  and 
charming  effect  upon  the  widespread  branches  of  a  couple  of 
Australian  pines.  Under  its  breathings  these  became  perfect 
Eolian  harps,  sending  forth  as  we  stood  beneath  them,  the  most 
touching  strains  of  melody ;  swelling  at  times  into  the  fulness  of 
the  organ,  and  then  dying  away  in  cadences,  so  soft,  as  to  make  the 

"  Listener  hold  his  breath  to  hear ;  " 

while  the  nerves  thrilled  under  the  expiring  tones.  I  never  heard 
"  a  voice  of  nature  "  more  charming. 

We  were  again  struck  with  the  great  civility  of  every  one 
we  met,  from  the  well-dressed  gentleman  to  the  humblest  slave. 
As  we  stood  near  the  enclosure  of  a  poor  cabin,  admiring  the 
peculiar  beauty  of  a  rose  in  the  perfection  of  its  bloom,  a  negro 
came  to  the  door,  and  with  pleasant  salutations,  begged  us  to  pull 
it,  though  it  was  the  only  one  in  flower ;  at  the  same  time  cutting 
a  cluster  of  buds  from  the  bush  himself,  and  adding  sprigs  of 
geranium  for  a  bouquet. 

After  an  excellent  dinner  served  by  Salvador,  we  towards 
evening  took  a  walk  along  the  beach  and  the  eastern  shore  of 
the  bay,  to  one  of  the  finest  points  of  view.  The  picture  pre- 
sented in  the  glowing  light  of  the  setting  sun  was  very  fine. 
Our  walk  led  us  past  the  general  hospital.  It  is  finely  situated 
on  a  commanding  terrace,  and  has  recently  been  enlarged  and 
refitted,  through  the  liberality  of  the  Emperor  and  Empress,  by 
donations  made  by  them  in  their  visit  to  St.  Catherine's  in  1845  : 


MARKET   AT    DESTERRO.  341 

the  one  having  given  ten  thousand  dollars  for  this  purpose,  and 
the  other  two.  It  is  a  foundling  hospital,  as  well  as  an  infirmary. 
The  window  containing  the  roda  or  turning-box  for  the  recep- 
tion of  the  infants  left,  was  open,  though  shaded  by  a  screen  of 
green  cloth,  embroidered  in  the  centre  with  the  Imperial  arms, 
and  with  the  motto  in  Portuguese — "  Mens  pais  me  desemparao 
a  Divina  Providencia  me  protege."  "  My  parent  deserts  m'e,  but 
Divine  Providence  protects  me." 

I  rose  early  the  next  morning  and  took  a  stroll  through  the 
market.  It  is  a  new  and  neatly  kept  structure,  immediately 
adjoining  the  beach.  I  say  beach,  for  there  are  no  wharves. 
This  was  now  filled  with  canoes  run  up  on  the  sand,  and  laden 
with  vegetables,  fruit,  wood,  and  various  articles  of  trafiic,  in 
which  a  brisk  barter  was  going  on.  On  the  grass  of  the  open 
square  in  front,  groups  of  mules  were  clustered  with  pack-saddles 
and  panniers  burdened  with  similar  articles,  brought  for  a  like 
purpose  from  the  interior ;  and  near  by,  negro  women  in  all  kinds 
of  costume  and  of  every  color,  were  seated  frying  fish,  and  boiling 
black  beans  into  a  kind  of  soup,  and  preparing  other  edibles  for 
the  breakfast  of  the  muleteers  and  passers  by.  Here,  too,  were 
collected,  according  to  daily  custom,  two  or  three  dozen  boys, 
from  eight  to  twelve  years  of  age,  each  having  a  bamboo  stick 
across  the  shoulder,  from  one  end  of  which  was  suspended  a  tin 
can  capable  of  containing  three  or  four  quarts,  with  a  small  tin 
cup  attached  as  a  measure.  These  are  the  milkmen  of  the  place, 
belonging  to  the  small  farms  in  the  adjoining  valleys,  to  a  distance 
of  seven  or  eight  miles. 

Our  breakfast  at  the  hotel  was  k  I'Americain :  such  an  one 
as  Salvador  boastingly  said  "  a  Brazilian  would  not  know  how  to 

get  up."     Immediately  after  despatching  it  Gr ,  S and  I 

set  off  in  a  boat  for  the  village  of  San  Jos6  on  the  mainland, 
nine  miles  across  the  straits  in  a  south-easterly  direction  from 
Desterro.  This  was  in  prosecution  of  a  purpose  we  had  formed  of 
visiting  the  German  colony  of  San  Pedro  d' Alcantara  in  the 
mountains,  some  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles  inland  from  San  Jos6 ; 


342  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

partly  to  observe  the  progress  made  by  the  immigrants  after  a 
settlement  of  twenty-five  years ;  and  partly  for  the  effect  npou 
our  health  and  spirits  of  a  ride  for  a  couple  of  days  on  horseback. 
There  was  no  wind,  and  we  were  rowed  over  by  a  Brazilian, 
the  owner  of  the  boat,  and  a  young  negro,  his  slave.  The  views 
from  the  water  in  every  direction  are  beautifully  lakelike,  The 
points  and  bluff  headlands  projecting  into  the  water,  are  in  many 
instances  peculiarly  striking  in  their  terminations  :  consisting  of 
columnar  shafts,  piked  splinters,  and  immense  boulders  of  granite, 
so  arranged  as  to  have  the  appearance  of  the  ruins  of  Cyclopean 
fortresses,  even  to  the  remains  of  seeming  embrasures.  In  other 
instances  they  might  pass  for  fragments  of  a  Giant's  causeway. 

We  were  an  hour  and  a  half  in  making  the  distance.  We 
had  been  directed  for  information  and  aid  in  accomplishing 
our  purpose  to  a  German  named  Adams,  residing  at  a  beach  called 
the  Praya  Compreda,  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  San  Jose, 
He  is  a  kind  of  chieftain  among  his  countrymen  of  the  colony, 
and  could  be  of  more  service  to  us  than  any  other  person.  We 
landed  near  his  house,  a  substantial  and  comfortable  edifice  of 
stone,  appropriated  in  its  lower  apartments  to  the  varied  business 
of  a  commission  merchant,  grocer,  and  tavernkeeper.  It  was  here 
we  were  to  procure  horses  and  a  guide  for  the  excursion.  At  first 
the  prospect  of  success  was  rather  unpromising.  Though  kindly 
received  by  Adams,  he  said  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  furnish 
horses — that  all  his  were  entirely  used  up  by  a  hard  ride  from 
which  they  had  just  returned,  and  he  knew  of  no  others  that  could 
be  obtained  :  nor  was  there  any  one  in  the  place  who  could  act 
as  a  guide.  However,  upon  setting  forth  our  entire  dependence 
upon  him,  at  the  recommendation  of  his  friend ;  the  anxiety  we 
felt  to  make  the  trip ;  our  nationality,  and  the  ship  at  Santa  Cruz 
to  which  we  were  attached,  he  so  far  relented  in  his  first  decision 
as  to  say  he  would  see  what  could  be  done ;  and  at  the  end  of  a 
few  minutes  it  was  determined,  that  after  a  good  feed,  his  two 
horses,  with  the  addition  of  a  couple  of  mules,  should  be  at  our 


A  YANKEE   COBBLER.  343 

service,  and  that  Adams  himself  should  become  our  companion 
and  guide. 

Matters  being  thus  satisfactorily  arranged,  we  employed  the 
time  for  the  requisite  preparations,  in  looking  around  us,  and  in 
learning  a  little  of  the  character  and  history  of  our  host.  He  is 
a  stout,  thickset,  square,  iron-framed  man  of  forty-five,  with  a 
good-natured,  but  most  determined  and  inflexible  face.  He  has 
been  twenty-four  years  in  the  country,  having  been  one  of  the 
pioneer  colonists  of  Alcantara,  and  resident  in  the  mountains  till 
within  a  few  years  past.  He  is  now  well  to  do  in  the  world,  and 
has  a  wife  and  family  of  six  children.  A  daughter  of  eighteen 
soon  became  an  object  of  unfeigned  admiration  to  some  of  our 
party.  She  is  very  pretty  in  face,  fresh  and  blooming  in  complex- 
ion, with  a  refined  and  intelligent  expression,  and  perfect  in  the 
proportion  and  symmetry  of  her  figure.  There  was  a  fitting  of 
the  head  and  neck  to  the  bust,  and  an  air  and  bearing  in  her 
walk,  that  would  have  become  a  princess.  It  is  so  long  since  we 
have  seen  in  common  life  one  who  would  be  called  at  home 
a  truly  pretty  girl,  that  we  were  quite  charmed  with  the  neat 
and  modest  air  of  this  Christianlike  and  civilized  beauty. 
A  brother,  too,  some  two  years  older,  tall,  stout,  and  well  mod- 
elled, moved  about  with  the  straightness  and  the  elastic  step  of 
an  Indian. 

As  we  were  strolling  through  the  little  hamlet,  a  straggling 
suburb  of  the  village  of  San  Jos6,  we  were  told  by  a  passer-by  -that 
an  American  was  living  close  at  hand — pointiog  out  to  us  his  resi- 
dence. We  found  this  to  be  a  cobbler's  shop,  and  our  compatriot 
in  it  a  cobbler :  a  scapegrace,  as  we  soon  learned,  from  no  less 
noted  a  place  of  apprenticeship  than  the  "  Mammoth"  boot-store  in 
Chatham  Square,  New  York.  He  is  about  twenty-eight  years 
of  age,  has  been  eleven  years  at  St.  Catharine's,  and  is  married 
here  ;  but  notwithstanding,  is  confessedly  still  much  of  a  "  Bowery 
boy,"  and  no  great  honor  to  his  country.  A  Bible  in  English, 
lying  on  the  counter,  was  the  only  evidence  of  good  we  disovered 
during  our  interview,  in  which  he  did  a  small  job  in  his  line  for 


344  BRAZIL   AND   LA    PLATA. 

one  of  us.  His  boast  of  Protestantism,  and  of  his  defences  of  the 
truth  amid  the  superstition  and  idolatry,  as  he  termed  it,  in 
which  he  lives,  did  not  pass  for  much  in  our  estimation,  inter- 
larded as  his  conversation  was,  with  oaths  and  other  proofs  of 
moral  degradation. 

At  two  o'clock  we  were  mounted  for  San  Pedro  d'Alcantara; 

Adams  and   S on  horses,  Gr and  I  on  mules.     Adams, 

wearing  a  low-crowned,  broad-brimmed,  black  felt  hat,  seemed  to 
be  literally  stuffed  into  the  drab  cotton  shooting-jacket,  which  he 
had  added  to  the  shirt  in  which  we  first  met  him.  The  other 
most  conspicuous  article  of  his  dress  was  a  pair  of  tan-colored 
boots,  reaching  to  his  knees,  with  saddle-bag  tops,  put  to  the  use 

here  of  a  portmanteau.     G and  S each  wore  over  their 

coats  a  gaily  striped  Buenos  Ayres  poncho ;  whilst  I  was  provided 
with  a  boat-cloak,  as  a  defence  against  sun,  wind,  and  rain.  We 
set  off  with  fine  weather  and  in  high  spirits.  We  had  long 
become  so  weary  of  the  monotony  of  life  on  board  ship  at  Monte- 
video, and  the  confinement  of  our  passage  hither,  that  the  change 
was  most  welcome  ;  and  we  ambled  off  through  a  sandy  lane  lead- 
ing directly  inland  from  the  water,  as  cheerily  as  if  just  escaping 
from  prison. 

On  gaining  the  height  of  the  first  ridge,  we  had  an  extensive 
view  over  a  wide  valley  covered  with  wood.  It  surprised  me  to 
see  so  wide  an  extent  of  level  and  seemingly  rich  land,  imme- 
diately on  the  coast,  unredeemed ;  but  we  learned  that  beneath  the 
wood  it  is  a  mere  swamp.  The  rising  grounds  skirting  it,  present 
abundant  evidence  of  the  productiveness  of  the  soil :  plantations 
of  coffee,  sugar-cane,  mandioca,  cotton,  Indian  corn,  and  the  castor 
oil  plant,  were  spread  widely  around,  while  the  orange  groves 
were  so  laden  with  fruit,  as  to  appear  in  the  sun  like  masses  of 
gold.  The  road  for  many  miles  was  broad  and  smooth,  lined 
with  hedges  of  mimosa  and  wild  orange,  and  ornamented  here  and 
there  by  clusters  of  roses  and  jessamine.  By  degrees,  however, 
as  we  advanced  in  the  mountains,  especially  in  the  ascent  and 
descent  of  spurs  of  hills,  it  became  narrow  and  rough,  and  little 


J 


RIDE    TO    SAN    PEDKO.  345 

more  than  a  bridle-path.  The  country  became  proportionally 
new  and  uncultivated  ;  still  in  many  places  it  was  homelike,  from 
the  meadows  and  rich  bottom  lands  which  here  and  there  bordered 
the  mountain  stream,  which  we  began  now  closely  to  follow  towards 
its  sources.  A  thousand  beautiful  pictures  in  outline  and  foliage 
were  presented  during  the  ride  of  the  afternoon,  enlivened  and 
varied  by  the  windings  of  the  small  river  beside  us — flowing  at 
times  through  lawnlike  banks  as  smoothly  as  the  waters  of  a 
lake,  and  then  again  rushing,  and  leaping,  and  foaming  amidst 
gigantic  boulders  of  granite,  down  rapids  and  over  cascades,  with 
the  tumult  and  uproar  of  a  cataract. 

We  had  constant  evidence  along  the  road,  in  the  new  dwell- 
ings and  outbuildings  of  the  inhabitants,  of  their  improving  cir- 
cumstances and  advancing  civilization.  This  was  conspicuous  in 
more  than  one  instance  in  three  successive  specimens  of  architec- 
ture in  a  single  habitation,  by  the  additions  made  at  diiFerent 
times.  First,  there  was  the  little  cabin,  composed  of  small  sap- 
ling-like timbers,  wattled  and  filled  in  with  mud  and  coarsely  and 
rudely  thatched,  now  rickety  and  ready  to  tumble  down,  the 
original  shanty  of  a  settler  in  the  wilderness ;  next,  and  joined 
to  it  some  years  later,  another  more  spacious  in  its  area,  and  of 
more  substantial  frame,  more  smoothly  plastered  and  more 
elaborately  thatched — more  neat  in  the  finish  of  its  door  and 
window  frames,  and  entire  workmanship  ;  and  lastly,  the  recently 
constructed  cottage  of  stone,  stuccoed  and  whitewashed,  and 
roofed  with  tile — bearing  testimony  of  the  prosperity  and  the 
improved  domestic  accommodations  of  its  owner.  This  is  de- 
scriptive of  the  Brazilian  section  of  the  country,  before  we  came  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  German  colony ;  though  the  same  fact 
was  observable  in  a  more  marked  degree  among  the  European 
immigrants. 

Night  overtook  us  when  yet  a  league  from  our  destination. 

Most  of  this  distance  was  made  in  such  darkness  that  we  could 

not  distinguish  an  object  around  us ;  not  even  the  road  we  were 

travelling.     We  could  only  follow  the  lead  of  our  guide,  trusting 

15* 


346  BRAZIL   AND    LA   PLATA. 

to  the  eyesight  and  sagacity  of  our  beasts,  for  security  in  mounting 
sharp  hills  and  in  making  steep  descents  beside  the  roaring 
waters  and  shelving  precipices.  The  way  thus  began  to  be 
tedious  and  we  to  feel  weary.  A  bright  light  from  a  large  and 
cheerful  dwelling  near  the  road  side,  before  which  our  guide 
halted,  led  to  the  hope  that  we  had  reached  the  end  of  our  day's 
journey.  This  Adams  was  desirous  of  making  it ;  but,  after  an 
animated  parlance  in  German,  in  which  the  whole  of  a  large 
family,  men,  women  and  children,  who  had  crowded  to  the  door, 
joined,  while  we,  wayworn  riders,  looked  wistfully  at  the  bright- 
ness and  seeming  comfort  within,  he  was  told  that  we  could  not 
be  accommodated,  and  must  push  our  way  through  the  darkness 
and  chill  mists  of  the  mountains,  a  mile  further.  Slight  showers 
of  rain  now  began  to  fall  from  the  heavy  clouds  overhead.  When 
at  last  we  did  come  to  a  halt,  and  were  invited  to  dismount,  the 
only  object  discernible  was  the  dim  light  of  a  lamp  amidst  the 
bottles  of  a  little  grog-shop  and  grocery,  six  feet  by  ten.  We 
found,  however,  that  it  opened  on  one  side  into  a  room  of  some- 
what greater  dimensions ;  and  this  again  in  the  rear  into  a  kennel- 
like hole,  filled  with  children  of  all  ages,  from  one  to  eight  and 
ten  years,  most  of  them  very  primitively  clad,  and  some  so  much 
so  as  to  be  entirely  naked. 

It  was  at  once  very  evident  that  this  barnlike  room,  open 
overhead  to  the  rafters,  and  furnished  only  with  a  coarse  heavy 
table  and  two  or  three  rude  wooden  benches,  was  to  be  both  our 
supper  room  and  dormitory :  the  grog-shop  on  one  corner  and  the 
kennel  behind,  constituting  the  rest  of  the  dwelling.  Hungry 
and  weary  we  gladly  made  ourselves  at  home  in  it.  The  civility 
of  the  landlord,  and  his  manifest  desire  to  do  honor  to  guests 
under  the  protection  of  so  distinguished  a  patron  as  Mynheer 
Adams,  but  especially  the  early  appearance  of  a  trim  and  active 
little  German  girl  of  eighteen,  with  neatly  arranged  hair  and 
blooming  complexion,  moving  about  with  the  self-possession  and 
dignity  of  an  heiress,  though  without  stockings,  and  for  shoes  the 


INDOOR   SCENES   AT    SAN    PEDRO.  347 

clumsy  sabots  or  wooden  slippers  of  the  country,  began  to  raise 
our  hopes  as  to  fare  and  accommodations. 

Soon  the  savory  fumes  and  musical  hissing  of  ham  and  eggs, 
in  a  frying-pan  in  the  adjoining  penthouse,  and  the  aroma  of 
coffee,  gave  further  encouragement  to  our  empty  stomachs.  A 
snowwhite  cloth  was  at  the  same  time  spread  over  one  end  of  the 
bar-room  table ;  and  it  was  not  long  before  we  were  seated  at  a 
very  palatable  meal,  which  the  personal  cleanliness  of  the  little 
cook  and  waiting-maid  encouraged  us  to  dispatch  without  any 
very  close  inspection  of  the  plates  on  which  it  was  served,  or  the 
particular  condition  of  the  black  knives  and  five-pronged  German 
silver  forks  with  which  it  was  eaten.  In  the  mean  time  we  had 
become  somewhat  enlightened  as  to  the  domestic  condition  of  the 
household.  The  lady  of  the  mansion  had  given  birth  the  day 
before  to  a  sixth  son,  and  was  lying  in  a  little  dark  recess  on  one 
side  of  the  rear  shanty  :  mother  and  son  doing  well.  The  maid- 
of-all-work  was  a  sister  in  charge  of  the  household  during  the 
confinement. 

Shortly  after  our  arrival  a  new  character  was  introduced,  in 
the  person  of  a  German  doctor,  in  attendance  on  the  mother  and 
child  :  a  man  of  talent  and  education,  we  were  told,  but  now,  from 
habits  of  drunkenness,  a  poor  degraded  wretch,  shabby  in  dress, 
and  filthy  in  person.  He  soon  rendered  himself  utterly  disgusting 
to  us,  by  the  profaneness  and  vulgarity  of  the  broken  English  by 
which  he  attempted  to  commend  himself  to  us,  as  travellers.  He 
came  from  the  fatherland  somewhat  more  than  a  year  ago,  with 
the  German  legion  furnished  by  Brazil,  in  the  allied  armies  of  the 
Plata,  for  the  overthrow  of  Rosas.  In  this,  he  was  a  surgeon, 
but  forfeited  his  commission  through  intemperance.  He  was 
disposed  at  first  to  be  very  friendly,  and  to  address  us  as  "  hail 
fellow  well  met."  The  advances  were  received  so  very  coldly, 
however,  especially  on  the  point  of  most  interest  to  him,  the 
participation  of  a  glass  of  grog,  that  after  a  word  to  the  sick,  he 
took  his  departure  in  the  darkness  and  rain  for  another  grog-shop, 
as  we  were  told,  to  meet  more  congenial  companions. 


348  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

The  cravings  of  hunger  relieved,  we  began  to  cast  a  look 
around  as  to  the  promise  of  rest  for  the  night,  after  the  weariness 
of  a  rough  and  rapid  ride  of  twenty-five  miles.  The  bare  and 
dirty  floors,  and  narrow  and  hard  benches  along  the  walls,  seemed 
to  furnish  the  only  choice  of  couches.  We  had  made  up  our 
minds  to  this  alternative ;  and,  so  far  as  my  companions  were 
concerned,  with  a  half  shiver  as  to  the  degree  of  comfort  held 
out.  The  mountain  air  was  not  only  damp,  but  positively  cold. 
In  addition  to  my  saddle  for  a  pillow,  I  had   a  thick   cloak  in 

which  to  wrap  myself,  but  G and  S ,  with  nothing  to 

cover  them  but  their  light  ponchos,  had  the  prospect  of  half 
freezing.  A  shrug  of  the  shoulders,  however,  chiefly  indicated 
the  nature  of  their  thoughts  on  the  subject.  To  our  relief,  a  large 
rush  mat  was  early  spread  in  one  corner  of  the  room,  and  imme- 
diately afterwards,  with  triumphant  looks  of  gratulation  to  one 
another,  we  beheld  our  host  with  his  little  sister-in-law  lugging  in 
from  the  adjoining  apartment  an  immense  straw  bed,  of  dimen- 
sions sufficient  for  the  accommodation  of  half  a  dozen  persons. 
Spread  out  to  its  largest  extent,  and  furnished  with  bolsters,  clean 
sheets  and  blankets,  it  looked  so  tempting,  that,  arranging  the 
cloak  and  ponchos  for  additional  covering,  and  laying  aside  our 
coats,  boots,  and  cravats,  we  were  soon  in  the  indulgence  of  the 
rest  to  which  it  invited  us.  We  were  constrained  by  Christian 
civility  to  ofi'er  to  our  guide  a  fourth  part  of  the  couch.  In 
anticipation  of  his  acceptance,  I  had  chosen  for  myself  an  out- 
side berth,  where  I  supposed  I  should  be  the  farthest  removed 
from  him.  He  declined  the  place  off"ered,  however,  and  spreading 
a  sheepskin  saddlecloth  and  other  gear  on  the  floor,  took  up  his 
quarters  beside  me.  Thus  my  selfish  manoeuvre  was  in  vain,  and 
the  big  German  was  my  next  bedfellow.  It  was  well  for  my 
repose  that  I  was  right  weary;  for  he  soon  began  puffing  and 
snorting  in  his  sleep  with  the  labor  and  noise  of  a  high-pressure 
steam-engine,  which  otherwise  would  have  efi'ectually  kept  me 
awake.  We  were  four  in  a  row ;  but  there  was  no  lack,  as  I  soon 
discovered,  of  numerous  other  bedfellows.     Flattering  myself  that 


CHAPEL    AND    CEMETERY.  349 

they  were  nothing  worse  than  fleas  in  clean  and  polished  armor, 
I  did  not  allow  myself  to  be  disturbed  by  them ;  but  leaving 
them  to  skip,  hop,  and  jump  as  they  pleased  without  hindrance,  I 
slept  soundly  till  morning,  and  rose  without  a  vestige  of  fatigue. 

I  was  all  impatience  to  know  what  kind  of  a  place,  under  the 
disclosures  of  daylight,  San  Pedro  d'Alcantara  would  prove  to  be. 
On  hastening  to  the  door,  for  the  windows  without  sash  or  glass 
were  closed  by  board  shutters,  the  first  object  that  met  my  eyes 
was  the  little  rustic  chapel  of  the  settlement,  perched  on  the 
top  of  a  beautifully  wooded  and  round-topped  hill.  It  is  pictur- 
esque and  rural,  and  the  most  conspicuous  and  ornamental  object 
in  the  landscape.  The  place  itself  is  a  hamlet  of  a  dozen  dwell- 
ings, most  of  them  mere  huts.  Half  the  number  are  plastered 
and  whitewashed,  and  in  place  of  thatch  have  roofs  of  red  tile. 
The  mountain  stream,  whose  course  we  had  followed  from  the  bay 
at  San  Jose,  here  a  small  rivulet,  flows  through  its  centre.  The 
little  valley  in  which  the  hamlet  is  embosomed,  is  encircled  by 
hills  of  more  or  less  steepness,  most  of  them  still  covered  with 
trees  and  underwood,  and  presents  all  the  features  of  a  new  and 
frontier  settlement  at  home.  After  breakfast,  accompanied  by 
Adams  and  our  host,  who  adds  to  his  occupation  of  publican  the 
office  of  sexton  to  the  church,  we  ascended  the  hill  to  the  chapel. 
It  is  most  rude  in  its  architecture  both  within  and  without,  and 
is  furnished  with  several  frightful  daubs,  of  what  are  intended 
for  saints  and  angels.  A  cemetery  surrounds  the  chapel.  It 
contains  a  few  graves,  and  is  encircled  by  a  broad  path  for  the 
convenience  of  religious  processions.  There  is  no  parish  priest ; 
but  an  itinerant  ecclesiastic  makes  a  quarterly  visit  for  confession 
and  absolution,  and  the  celebration  of  mass.  In  answer  to  my 
inquiries  on  the  subject,  our  host  said,  "  We  come  up  to  the 
chapel  every  Sunday  morning  and  every  saint's  day,  and  make  a 
procession,  and  do  what  we  can,  and  then  go  down  and  drink, 
dance,  and  sing,  and  enjoy  ourselves  the  rest  of  the  day  !  " 

It  had  rained  heavily  in  showers  during  the  night,  and  the 
weather  was  still  drizzling  and  unsettled.     Still  we  felt  disposed 


350  BRAZIL   AND    LA    PLATA. 

before  returning,  to  push  our  observations  a  little  further  in  the 
interior.  To  this  Adams  offered  no  objection,  and  we  again 
mounted.  Shortly  after  leaving  the  hamlet  westward,  we  came  to 
a  very  steep  and  long  hill— quite  a  mountain.  The  soil  is  an 
adhesive  oily  clay,  and  the  ascent  was  difficult  and  amusing.  It 
was  almost  impossible  for  our  animals  to  obtain  a  sure  foothold ; 
and  they  constantly  slipped  and  floundered,  and  slid  backwards  in 
a  manner  that  at  first  was  startling.  The  view  from  the  top,  of 
the  little  valley  and  hamlet,  the  stream  meandering  through  it, 
and  of  the  rude  chapel  and  its  surmounting  cross,  was  picturesque 
and  quite  Alpine. 

The  descent  on  the  opposite  side  was  as  steep,  and  more 
hazardous  than  the  ascent  had  been :  our  beasts,  with  their  fore- 
legs stiffly  outstretched,  often  made  involuntary  slides  of  eight,  ten, 
and  fifteen  feet,  till  "  brought  up  all  standing,"  as  the  phrase  is, 
by  a  cross  gully  or  a  large  stone.  As  the  whole  ride  was  but  the 
constant  ascent  and  descent  of  a  succession  of  spurs  of  hills, 
running  down  into  the  little  valley  through  which  the  mountain 
stream  flowed,  it  proved  a  regular  morning's  sport  of  "  coursing 
down  hill  "  after  a  new  fashion.  At  first  it  was  a  little  startling; 
for  when  the  slide  began,  whether  backwards,  in  a  precipitous 
ascent,  or  headforemost  down  a  breakneck  descent,  there  was  no 
calculating  where  one  would  fetch  up  ;  a  little  experience,  how- 
ever, begot  such  confidence  in  the  self-management  of  the  animals 
— especially  the  mules,  to  'one  of  which  I  still  adhered — that  I 
soon  began  to  enjoy  it,  and  rather  to  look  out  for  and  encourage  a 
good  long  slide  upon  the  well-braced  limbs  of  my  beast.  This  was 
particularly  the  case  on  our  return,  in  the  descent  of  the  long  hill 
immediately  overhanging  San  Pedro.  This  is  quite  precipitous, 
and  for  nearly  half  a  mile  we  slipped,  slipped,  and  slipped,  one 
after  another,  first  in  one  direction  in  the  road,  and  then  in 
another,  zigzagging  here  and  zigzagging  there,  but  bringing  up  at 
every  successive  point  safely,  till  we  were  constrained  to  laugh 
outright,  as  we  looked  from  one  animal  and  his  rider  to  another, 
and  felt  that  each  of  us  presented  the  same  comical  figure. 


MOUNTAIN    SCENERY.  351 

The  general  features  of  the  scenery  were  much  the  same  as 
those  passed  over  the  preceding  evening.  Steep  hills,  well- 
wooded,  rose  abruptly  on  either  side  from  the  little  valley.  In 
this  lay  rich  bottomlands,  some  in  long  peninsulas,  and  others  in 
horse-shoe  form,  according  to  the  varied  windings  of  the  stream 
flowing  through  them.  Many  beautiful  pictures,  some  of  nature 
in  her  wildness,  and  others  with  intermingled  cultivation  and  im- 
provement met  the  eye,  with  evidences  in  the  dwellings  and  farms 
of  the  settlers  of  increasing  comfort  and  progressive  civilization. 
At  the  end  of  three  miles,  our  guide  proposed  that  instead  of  follow- 
ing the  public  mule-track  further,  we  should  turn  aside  by  a  gate- 
way upon  the  more  level  valley.  This  we  did,  and  soon  entered 
upon  a  section  more  like  farming-land  at  home  than  any  thing  before 
met.  After  passing  two  or  three  comfortable-looking  dwellings, 
we  came  in  view  of  an  extensive  plantation  of  comparatively  level 
and  well  improved  groundj  with  a  cluster  of  buildings  a  half  mile 
in  the  distance,  superior  to  any  we  had  yet  seen.  It  proved  to  be 
the  residence  of  a  cousin  of  our  guide,  at  which  he  wished  to  give 
us  an  introduction.  Widespread,  meadow-like  fields  lay  before 
us,  and  on  one  side  upon  an  open  lawn  stood  a  neatly-finished 
little  '  chapelet,'  if  I  may  coin  a  word.  This  looked  pretty  in  the 
landscape,  from  its  whiteness  in  contrast  with  the  green  of  an 
encircling  hedge.  It  was  not  more  than  twelve  feet  square,  open 
in  front,  and  probably  intended  to  be  scarcely  more  than  a  canopy 
over  a  shrine  of  the  Virgin  or  some  favorite  saint. 

From  the  time  of  entering  the  German  colony  the  day  pre- 
vious, salutations  of  good  will  and  pleasure  were  addressed  to 
our  guide  from  the  habitations  we  passed  far  and  near — often  at 
distances  as  great  as  the  voice  could  well  carry  them ;  now,  as 
soon  as  he  was  recognized  among  the  party  approaching,  the  de- 
.monstration  was  most  cordial  and  prolonged ;  while  before  we 
could  alight,  father,  mother,  daughters,  and  sons  gathered  around 
the  cavalcade  with  the  most  cheerful  welcome.  Every  thing  indi- 
cated that  we  had  arrived  at  the  mansion  of  a  magnate  in  the 
colony,  if  it  were  not  that  of  the  lord  of  the  manor  himself.     It 


352  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

must  not  be  inferred  from  tins,  however,  that  we  met  any  very 
impressive  display  of  aristocratic  life,  either  in  costume,  manners, 
or  dwelling.  The  proprietor  was  unshaven  and  unshorn.  His 
dress,  though  clean,  was  very  thoroughly  patched,  and  included 
neither  coat,  stockings,  hat,  nor  cravat.  The  costume  of  the  lady 
consisted  principally  of  a  single  essential  garment,  made  and 
arranged  so  inartistically  as  to  give  to  her  figure  very  much  the 
outline  of  a  bean-pole.  The  forms  of  two  strapping  daughters 
of  sixteen  and  eighteen  were  much  more  after  the  German  model ; 
but  their  toilette  was  little  more  elaborate  than  that  of  the 
mother,  and  the  skirt  of  the  single  robe  worn  by  them,  scarcely 
the  length  of  that  of  a  Bloomer  without  the  pantalets.  The 
sinew  and  muscle  thus  displayed  in  bare  arms  and  bare  ankles  and 
feet,  would  have  justified  the  belief  that  they  had  spent  their  lives 
in  tree-chopping  or  log-rolling,  and  led  one  of  our  party  in  his 
astonishment  to  exclaim,  with  the  favorite  expletive  of  'by  George,' 
"  either  of  them  would  thrash  any  one  of  us  in  a  minute  !  " 

It  was  beginning  to  rain  quite  smartly  as  we  dismounted,  and 
whilst  the  sons  took  charge  of  our  horses,  we  were  hastily 
ushered  into  a  good-sized  rjoom,  which,  though  exhibiting  a  com- 
bination of  hall  and  parlor,  bedroom  and  kitchen,  took  us  quite 
by  srtrprise  in  its  style  and  finish.  It  presented  a  neatly  pan- 
elled wainscot,  of  the  handsome  cedar  of  the  country,  extending 
from  the  floor  to  the  cornice;  the  ceiling  also  being  panelled 
with  the  same  material.  A  long  table  and  benches  beside  it,  a 
sofa  of  mahogany  with  cane  seat,  and  half  a  dozen  chairs  to  match, 
an  old  eight-day  clock  in  a  straight  black  case,  and  a  high  dresser 
with  drawers  of  the  same  color  and  material — both  manifestly 
brought  from  the  '  faderland  ' — constituted,  with  the  accustomed 
display  of  dclf  and  china,  the  principal  furniture  of  the  room. 

In  the  early  morning,  at  San  Pedro,  the  first  indoor  object 
that  arrested  my  attention,  was  the  thickset  and  burly  figure  of 
our  guide,  beside  the  counter  of  the  little  grog-shop  and  grocery, 
stirring  with  a  spoon  the  contents  of  a  shallow  earthen  pan,  on 
the  surface  of  which  played  the  blue  flames  of  burning  spirits. 


A   FEAT    OF    AGILITY,  353 

Tlie  interest  with  which  he  watched  the  operation  was  not  lim- 
ited, it  was  very  evident,  to  the  beauty  of  the  flashing  and  leap- 
ing flame,  as  he  stirred  and  stirred  the  liquid.  Half  suspicious 
of  the  reply  that  would  be  given,  I  asked  him,  "  what  he  was 
making  ?  "  And  received  for  answer,  with  a  smack  of  his  lips, 
"  Oh,  something  very  good  for  the  stomach  in  these  damp  morn- 
ings in  the  mountains — very  necessary  against  the  fogs!  it  is 
cachasa," — the  common  rum  of  the  country — "and  sugar,"  of 
which,  at  the  end  of  fifteen  minutes'  preparation,  he  would  fain  have 
persuaded  us  to  partake,  with  the  assurance  "  that  all  the  bad  of 
it  was  burned  up."  And  now,  at  the  farm-house,  we  had  scarcely 
become  seated,  before  our  host  made  his  appearance  with  a  tum- 
bler of  the  same,  with  a  regret  that  he  could  not  in  its  place  offer 
us  wine.  On  declining  this,  bowls  of  milk  were  presented.  And 
such  milk !  The  like  of  it  I  have  not  seen  since  leaving  the 
banks  of  the  Hudson.  An  excellent  loaf  of  bread,  a  mixture  of 
wheat  and  Indian  meal,  was  added,  with  the  sweetest  of  butter 
and  equally  good  cheese.  A  plate  of  the  farina  of  mandioca 
being  also  placed  upon  the  table,  I  made  my  lunch  chiefly  on  a 
bowl  of  milk  thickened  with  it ;  and  found  the  diet  a  capital  sub- 
stitute for  the  hasty  pudding  of  New  England  and  the  Dutch 
suppawn  of  the  Middle  States. 

In  the  mean  time,  a  feat  of  agility  performed  by  the  younger 
of  the  two  daughters  mentioned,  came  near  proving  too  much  for 
the  gravity  of  some  of  our  number.  She  had  not  entered  the 
room  when  we  did,  having  received  an  order  at  the  time,  of  some 
kind,  from  her  mother.  This  obeyed,  she  was  unwilling,  probably, 
to  lose  the  interest  of  so  unusual  a  visit;  and  perceiving  at  the 
door  that  but  one  seat  in  the  room  was  vacant — the  farther  end 
of  the  sofa,  ten  or  twelve  feet  off — and  suspicious  of  the  undue 
exposure  before  strangers  of  her  nether  limbs,  in  a  deliberate 
movement  over  the  intervening  space,  she  measured  well  the  dis- 
tance, and  with  a  gathered  momentum,  by  a  single  lofty  hop, 
skip,  and  jump,  came  down  a  la  Turque  upon  it,  with  feet  and 
ankles  entirely  concealed  beneath  her  scanty  skirt,  but  with  a 


354  BBAZIL   AND   LA  PLATA. 

snapping  of  the  bamboo  that  threatened  to  be  fatal  to  the  bottom 
of  the  sofa. 

After  luncheon,  we  sallied  forth  for  the  inspection  of  a  man- 
dioca  and  a  sugar  mill  in  an  adjoining  building,  and  a  view  of  the 
piggery  and  gardens — the  entire  household  forming  our  suite. 
We  had  already  discovered  the  wife  to  be  very  decidedly  the 
head  of  the  family.  Her  will  and  word,  doubtless,  were  law  in  the 
domain,  outdoors  as  well  as  within.  The  husband  seemed  a 
meek,  good-natured  but  inefficient  person,  while  his  better  half 
was  full  of  energy  and  enterprise ;  and,  probably,  besides  the  exer- 
cise of  better  judgment,  had  accomplished  more  hard  work, 
in  the  field  as  well  as  in  the  kitchen,  than  any  other  person  on  the 
place.  She  at  once  took  the  lead  in  showing  oflf  the  premises, 
and  in  giving  all  the  information  desired  in  regard  to  them.  Her 
husband  and  herself  were  so  poor  at  the  time  of  their  immigra- 
tion, twenty-four  years  ago,  as  to  be  necessarily  indebted  to  their 
cousin,  Adams,  for  their  passage-money.  Their  plantation  was  a 
gratuity  from  the  government,  as  an  encouragement  to  colonists. 
It  is  a  mile  in  length,  by  half  a  mile  in  width,  and  was  then  in  a 
state  of  nature,  and  of  little  value.  It  is  now  reclaimed  and  well 
cultivated ;  and  could  not  be  purchased,  as  we  were  informed,  for 
less  than  ten  thousand  milreis  or  five  thousand  dollars.  In  addi- 
tion to  this  fine  property  and  comfortable  home,  with  good  build- 
ings and  a  stock  of  all  necessary  animals,  Mr.  S the  proprie-, 

tor,  is  a  capitalist,  and  has  money  at  interest.     Mrs.  S has 

been  handsome,  and  still  has  a  finely  chiselled  face  and  good  ex- 
pression. The  daughters,  too,  are  pretty  :  at  least  they  appeared 
so  to  us.  It  is  so  long  since  we  have  seen  the  fair  skin  and  the 
fair  complexion  of  the  Northern  woman,  or  met  the  energy, 
activity,  and  elastic  movement  of  the  fair  Yankee,  that  we  are 
scarcely  competent  to  the  exercise  of  unprejudiced  judgment  in 
the  case. 

At  the  end  of  an  hour  we  took  our  leave,  pleased  with  the 
visit,  which  evidently  had  also  been  a  pleasure  to  our  hosts.  The 
wetness  of  the  morning  had  increased,  and  before  we  had  accom- 


DEPARTURE  FROM  SAN  PEDRO.         355 

plislied  a  mile  on  our  return,  the  rain  began  to  pour  in  torrents. 
We  sought  the  shelter  of  an  orange-grove  till  the  shower  should 
pass ;  but  finding  it  inadequate  to  the  emergency,  Adams,  exclaim- 
ing, "  This  will  not  do  !  "  pushed  ahead  a  short  distance,  and 
dashed,  all  mounted,  into  a  mandioca  mill  at  one  end  of  a  dwell- 
ing near  by.  We  of  course  followed,  and  found  ourselves  with 
our  beasts  snug  and  dry  in  the  kitchen  as  well  as  mill  of  the  pro- 
prietor. Here,  during  the  delay  of  half  an  hour,  we  had  an  op- 
portunity of  witnessing  again  the  whole  process  of  converting  the 
root  of  the  mandioca  into  farina ;  while  Adams,  having,  through 
an  open  door,  spied  the  family  of  the  house  at  their  noonday 
meal,  alighted,  and  notwithstanding  his  previous  hearty  luncheon 
an  hour  before,  of  bread,  butter,  cheese  and  milk,  sat  down  and 
made  a  full  dinner  :  and  this,  only  as  was  afterwards  proved,  by 
way  of  stimulating  his  appetite  for  the  repast  we  had  ordered  to 
be  in  readiness  on  our  return,  at  San  Pedro,  and  to  which  he  did 
as  ample  justice  as  if  he  had  not  broken  his  fast  before  for  a 
day. 

While  waiting  for  this  meal  to  be  served,  a  very  pretty  and 
modest-looking  German  girl  of  fifteen  rode  up  to  the  door  of  the 
little  inn.  She  wore  a  neatly  fitting  dress  of  pink  calico,  a 
pocket-handkerchief  tied  under  the  chin  as  a  covering  for  the 
head,  and  French  gaiter  boots,  and  sat  her  horse  a  la  cabellero. 
She  was  on  her  way  to  San  Jose  under  the  escort  of  a  friend, 
without  whose  protection,  the  Germans  told  us,  she  could  not  pos- 
sibly make  the  trip  with  safety,  such  was  the  villainy  and  licen- 
tiousness of  the  Brazilians  of  the  country.  In  the  state  in  which 
the  roads  are,  her  attitude  as  a  rider  was  unquestionably  the  most 
secure. 

When  ready  to  set  off  ourselves,  rain  had  again  began  to 
pour;  and  for  a  time  the  prospect  of  being  able  to  start  was 
unpromising.  The  drunken  doctor,  once  more  in  attendance,  per- 
sisted in  assuring  us  that  it  would  rain  thus  all  the  afternoon ; 
and  said  it  would  be  madness  to  think  of  leaving.  His  urgency 
for  our  stay  was  an  additional  motive  for  us  to  be  off;  and  as 


356  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

soon  as  there  was  a  slight  improvement  in  the  weather  we 
mounted,  and  after  making  up  a  purse,  much  to  the  delight  of 
our  host,  as  a  gratuity  to  the  sixth-born  son,  bade  adieu  to  San 
Pedro  d'Alcantara.  It  was  now  four  o'clock,  and  Adams  said  we 
could  not  reach  San  Jos6  at  the  earliest  before  nine.  We  started 
notwithstanding,  with  the  will  and  purpose  of  making  the  short- 
est possible  work  of  the  intervening  distance ;  and  certain  of  our 
road,  left  our  guide  to  gossip  by  the  way  as  he  chose,  with  the 
many  friends  hailing  him  from  the  heights  above  or  the  valleys 
below,  as  far  as  the  voice  could  be  carried,  wliile  we  rode  pell- 
mell,  up  hill  and  down  dale,  often  slipping  and  sliding  for  long 
distances,  at  the  seeming  hazard  of  both  limbs  and  neck.  In  this 
way,  we  accomplished  half  the  distance  before  nightfall,  and 
reached  a  lower  region  of  country,  where  there  had  been  little  or 
no  rain. 

During  the  ride,  we  met  several  troupes  of  mules,  and  their 
muleteers,  returning  with  empty  pack-saddles  from  the  bay. 
Among  others,  one  belonging  to  our  host  of  San  Pedro,  which 
we  had  seen  setting  off  in  the  early  morning  with  articles  for  the 
market  of  Desterro.  Occasionally,  too^  we  overtook,  and,  after 
riding  for  a  time  side  by  side,  passed  horsemen  and  mule  riders 
going  the  same  way  with  ourselves.  Just  as  darkness  was  begin- 
ning to  ffill  rapidly  around,  we  thus  fell  in  with  a  well-mounted, 
fine-looking  Brazilian,  having   the  appearance  of  a  respectable 

planter.     Adams  was  far  behind,  and  S had  the  lead  of  our 

party,  his  horse  being  a  tolerably  good  traveller.     My  mule,  a 

sure-footed  beast,  came  next,  and  then  G 's.     The  Brazilian, 

after  riding  side  by  side  with  each  of  us  in  turn,  by  degrees  got 
in  advance  of  all  three.     As  he  was  evidently  well  acquainted 

with  the  road,  S and  I  made  up  our  minds  to  follow  him 

closely,  as  the  pioneer  in  the  darkness  for  any  unsafe  spot  ahead. 
As  both  man  and  horse  appeared  fresh,  however,  this  required 
pretty  brisk  riding.  With  the  thickening  of  the  night,  our  new 
friend  accelerated  his  speed  ;  and  the  faster  he  led,  the  faster  we 
followed.     Presently  it  was  impossible  to  discern  a  trace  of  the 


BIDE   BY   NIGHT.  357 

road,  or  to  discover  whether  it  were  smooth  or  rough,  tending  up 
hill  or  down.     The   white   Guayaquil  hat  of  the  Brazilian,  was 

all  that  was  left  visible  to  S of  horse,  or  rider,  and  a  line  of 

deeper  darkness  hastening  from  me  ahead,  was  all  that  I,  with  the 

most  fixed  gaze,  could  perceive  of  S .     I  lashed  my  mule  to 

keep  up  in  the  chase,  S kept  snapping  his  riding  whip  in  the 

fashion  of  a  French  postilion,  while  the  Brazilian  seemed  to  be 

spurring  on  his  steed  at  full  tilt.     Away  we  thus  went,  S 

managing  to  keep  before  him  the  vision  of  a  white  hat,  which 
threatened  each  moment  to  be  lost  in  the  darkness,  and  I  at  an 
equal  remove  from  him,  with  all  the  powers  of  sight  intently 
fixed,  to  follow  a  moving  speck  of  concentrated  blackness.  To 
make  sure  of  the  identity  of  the  phantom  of  my  own  chase,  I 

occasionally  called  out,  "  S ,  do  you  still  see  him  ?  "  to  which 

the  reply  would  come,  "  Yes  !  but  I  tell  you  he  is  going  it :  but 
I'll  take  good  care  not  to  lose  him, — there  can  be  but  one  road, 
and  I'll  make  sure  of  so  good  a  lead." 

It  was  amusing,  though  it  might  have  proved  no  joke,  to  be 
thus  trotting  at  full  speed  in  impenetrable  night,  and  that  on  a 
hard-motioned  animal  at  the  end  of  a  thirty-miles'  ride.  We  had 
kept  the  gait  for  an  hour  perhaps,  without  venturing  to  slacken 
its  pace  for  a  moment,  or  to  take  our  eyes  from  the  respective 
points,  white  and  black,  before  us,  when  all  at  once,  that  on  which 
mine  were  fixed  was  gone  :  urging  my  mule  forward,  in  the  at- 
tempt to  regain  it,  I  perceived  him  begin  to  stumble,  and  found  that 

he  was  off  the  path.     Reining  him  up,  I  called  out  for  S . 

He,  I  discovered,  was  at  a  stand  also  at  no  great  distance,  and 
in  answer  to  the  question,  "  Have  you  lost  your  guide  ?  "  an- 
swered, "  He  has  just  vanished  like  a  veritable  ghost — he  dis- 
appeared in  a  moment  in  a  mass  of  blackness,  and  but  for  the 
creaking  of  a  gate,  I  should  have  been  headforemost  into  a 
hedge  after  him."  The  darkness  was  so  great  that  it  was  impos- 
sible to  move  with  safety  without  some  indication  of  the  direc- 
tion in  which  we  ought  to  go,  and  we  had  patiently  to  wait  the 
approach  of  G and  Adams  to  relieve  us  from  our  dilemma. 


358  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

Soon  the  whip  of  the  former,  urging  on  his  little  mule,  and  the 
jingling  of  the  stirrups  and  heavy  iron  spurs  of  the  latter  were 
heard  at  no  great  distance ;  and  giving  place  in  the  lead  to 
Adams,  at  the  end  of  a  half  hour  we  alighted  safely  at  the  point 
from  which  we  started.     I  was  too  much  fagged  to  care  for  any 

refreshment  but  that  of  sleep ;  and,  while  S and  G sat 

down  to  a  supper  of  "  pain  perdu"  and  green  tea,  made  my  way  to 
a  clean  and  comfortable  cot  beneath  the  tiled  roof  of  the  garret, 
and  was  soon  lost  in  a  repose — 

"  above 
The  luxury  of  common  sleep.** 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

Destbeko. 

May  24:t7i. — Mr.  "Wells,  an  American  gentleman  of  wealth, 
long  resident  in  Desterro,  is  a  person  of  leading  influence  in  the 
commerce  and  society  of  the  place.  For  many  years  he  held  the 
office  of  American  consul  with  honor  and  popularity;  but  was 
superseded  two  or  three  years  ago,  through  the  political  influence 
of  a  partisan  office-seeker  at  home.  The  new  incumbent,  disap- 
pointed in  the  profits  expected  from  the  office,  soon  resigned  it. 
Through  private  pique  against  Mr.  Wells,  he  left  the  papers  of 
the  consulate  and  an  acting  appointment  to  the  office  with  Cap- 
tain Cathcart,  though  he  is  in  no  way  qualified  for  the  duties  or 
honor  of  the  situation. 

Among  others  to  whom  Mr;  Wells,  as  the  only  representative 
of  the  United  States  here,  has  at  different  times  extended  his 
hospitality,  are  the  present  Emperor  and  Empress.  Their  majes- 
ties and  suite  were  entertained  by  him  at  a  magnificent  fete,  in 
their  progress  through  this  section  of  the  Empire  in  1 845.     I  was 

furnished  with  letters  to  him  by  Dr.  C ,  an  old  friend,  and  by 

F of  the  Congress.     These  I  delivered  before  making  the 

excursion  to  San  Pedro ;  and  on  my  return,  became  a  guest 
beneath  his  roof.  His  house  is  on  the  palace  square,  in  the 
immediate  neighborhood  of  the  residence  of  the  President  of  the 
Province.     It  is  one  of  the  finest  dwellings  in  the  place,  and 


360  BKAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

commands  from  the  windows  and  balconies  of  the  drawing-room, 
an  extensive  view  of  the  town,  bay,  and  surrounding  mountains. 
It  has  been  my  lot  to  occupy  a  great  variety  of  sleeping  rooms, 
from  those  of  the  palace  to  the  wigwam,  but  I  think  the  bed 
assigned  to  me  here  must  have  precedence,  in  its  dimensions  at 
least,  above  all  I  have  before  met.  It  is  truly  regal,  taking  even 
that  of  his  majesty  of  Bashan  in  the  days  of  his  overthrow,  as  a 
model.  I  have  not  measured  it,  and  its  area  may  not  quite  be, 
as  his  was,  "  nine  cubits  by  four ;  "  but  its  elevation  I  suspect  is 
quite  as  great ;  the  upper  mattress,  as  I  stand  beside  it,  being 
nearly  on  a  level  with  my  shoulders,  and  accessible  only  by  a 
flight  of  mahogany  steps.  The  canopy  is  of  proportionate  alti- 
tude. The  dignified  feeling  with  which  one  ascends  to  this  place 
of  rest,  is  not  a  little  increased  by  the  remembrance  that  it  was 
by  these  very  steps  their  Imperial  Majesties,  when  in  St.  Cathe- 
rine's, mounted  to  their  couch. 

Mr.  Wells  has  been  bereft  of  a  wife  and  child,  and  is  left 
alone ;  but  has  borne  his  afflictions  with  the  resignation  of  a 
Christian.  It  was  pleasing  to  discover,  that  though  so  long  a 
resident  of  a  place  "  wholly  given  to  idolatry,"  and  cut  off  from 
all  the  public  means  of  grace,  he  maintains  the  regular  worship 
of  God,  morning  and  evening,  with  his  household  of  African 
servants. 

The  quietude  and  comforts  of  such  an  establishment  are  a 
great  luxury  after  the  weariness  of  long  confinement  on  ship- 
board ;  and  I  feel  that  the  visit  at  Desterro  will  constitute  quite 
an  episode  in  the  tedium  of  our  cruise.  The  town  itself  presents 
every  where  a  pleasing  mingling  of  city  and  country,  giving  to 
the  whole  a  village-like  simplicity.  The  walks,  in  every  direc- 
tion, are  varied  and  beautifully  rural ;  and  whatever  Desterro  may 
be  as  a  permanent  residence,  it  is  certainly  delightful  for  a 
sojourn  of  a  few  days. 

Yesterday  afternoon  my  attention  was  attracted  by  the  sounds 
of  music  in  the  Matriz,  or  mother  church,  at  the  head  of  the  square ; 
and  walking  over,  I  discovered  it  to  be  that  of  a  funeral  service 


FUNERAL    OF    A   CHILD.  361 

in  a  mass  for  tlie  dead.  A  beautiful  catafalque,  with  richly  fes- 
tooned draperies  of  pink  satin  and  gold  and  silver  tissue,  occu- 
pied the  centre  of  the  nave.  Upon  this,  in  a  straight  coffin  of  pink 
velvet,  trimmed  with  gold  lace — so  formed  as  when  thrown  open 
to  expose  the  entire  figure — upon  a  satin  mattress  lay  the  corpse 
of  a  little  girl  of  three  years,  most  tastefully  and  expensively 
arrayed  in  what  may  be  concisely  described  as  a  full  ball-dress 
of  pink  and  blue  gauze,  with  edgings  of  gold  and  silver  fringe 
over  a  white  satin  robe  :  the  whole  being  wreathed  with  garlands 
of  exquisitely  finished  artificial  flowers.  The  feet  were  in  silk 
stockings  and  satin  shoes,  and  the  head  crowned  with  fresh 
roses.  Death  had  evidently  done  his  work  quickly  and  gently. 
There  was  no  emaciation ;  no  traces  of  suffering ;  the  face  was 
full  and  perfect  in  its  contour ;  and  the  limbs  round  and  sym- 
metrical. A  placid  and  smiling  expression,  in  place  of  the 
ghastly  look  of  death,  led  to  the  impression  of  its  being  only  a 
deep  and  quiet  sleep  that  we  gazed  on — an  illusion  strengthened 
by  the  delicate  tinge  of  rouge  that  had  been  given  to  the  cheeks 
and  lips. 

On  all  former  occasions,  when  I  have  seen  the  corpse  of  a 
child  thus  decked  out — according  to  the  usage  here — I  have  felt  as 
if  it  were  a  mockery  of  death  and  the  grave,  thus  to  mingle  the 
tinsel  and  vanities  of  the  world  with  the  sad  lesson  they  teach. 
But  now,  however  incongruous  with  the  solemnity  of  such  an  oc- 
casion these  fanciful  adornments  may  seem  to  us,  there  was  nothing 
repulsive  in  the  spectacle  presented.  Indeed,  I  found  myself 
insensibly  impressed  with  the  extreme  beauty  of  the  child,  and 
the  exquisite  taste  and  artistic  effect  of  the  drapery  in  which  she 
was  laid  out.  Ingeniously  constructed  wings  of  gauze  are  often 
appended  to  the  other  adornments  of  an  infant  corpse,  emble- 
matic of  the  truth  that, 

"  With  soul  enlarged  to  angel's  size,*! 

the  spirit  has  taken  its  flight  to  a  station  of  blessedness  near  tie 
throne  of  the  Kedeeuier.     All  persons  of  wealth  and  position  in 
16 


362  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

society,  are  thus,  in  Brazil,  borne  to  the  grave  in  full  dress — 
the  soldier  in  his  uniform,  the  judge  in  his  robes,  the  bishop  in 
his  mitre,  and  the  monk  in  his  cowl. 

On  this  occasion,  the  officiating  priest  with  the  bearers  of  the 
crucifix  and  censers,  and  other  attendants,  stood  in  the  midst  of 
the  blaze  of  wax  lights  by  which  the  bier  was  encircled ;  while 
the  walls  of  the  church  were  lined  by  hundreds  of  gentlemen  of 
the  first  respectability,  in  full  black,  and  each  supporting  a  candle 
of  wax  of  the  length  and  size  of  an  ordinary  walking-stick.  The 
child  was  of  the  family  of  Andrada ;  a  name  pre-eminent  in  the 
Province  and  Empire  for  patriotism,  scientific  attainment,  and 
political  distinction. 

Towards  evening  I  took  a  long  walk  with  Mr.  AVells.  The 
suburbs  in  every  direction  are  full  of  rural  imagery  and  pictu- 
resque beauty.  The  rising  grounds  command  extensive  views  of 
undulating  land,  of  water  and  of  mountains ;  and  the  roads  and 
lanes  are  so  walled  in  by  luxuriant  hedges  of  the  flowering  mi- 
mosa, running  rose,  orange-tree,  and  coffee  bush,  as  to  embower  one, 
even  within  a  stone's  throw  of  the  town,  as  if  in  the  heart  of  the 
country.  The  flowers  of  the  mimosa  hanging  in  thick  pendants, 
cover  the  hedges  with  a  mass  of  whiteness,  more  entire  and  more 
beautiful  than  that  of  the  hawthorne,  while  those  of  the  running 
rose,  clustering  closely  like  the  multiflora,  make  the  roadside  they 
border  one  bed  of  bloom.  There  is  too  a  repose  and  tranquillity 
in  the  evenings,  and  a  delicacy  in  the  tintings  of  the  colors  at 
sunset,  that  make  a  stroll  at  that  time  of  the  day  peculiarly 
delightful. 

After  a  circuit  of  two  miles  by  an  inland  route,  we  approached 
the  town  again  by  a  suburb  which  constitutes  the  west  end,  both 
in  the  topography  and  the  fashion  of  the  place ;  and  exhibits  a 
succession  of  pleasant  residences  surrounded  by  tastefully  arranged 
flower-gardens.  Just  as  we  were  passing  the  grounds  of  one  of 
the  most  attractive  of  these,  a  vehicle,  the  first  I  have  seen, 
except  a  Koman  ox-cart,  since  I  have  been  here,  overtook  us  and 
drove   through   an   iron   gateway  into   a   court,   beyond   which 


COMMENCEMENT    OF    A   NOVENA.  363 

appeared  long  vistas  of  gravelled  walks  and  embowering  shade. 
The  carriage  was  a  caleche,  or  old-fashioned  chaise,  of  rather  rude 
construction,  painted  pea-green,  with  orange-colored  wheels  and 
shafts.  It  was  drawn  by  a  single  horse  guided  by  a  postilion, 
and  contained  a  very  stout  gray-headed  gentleman  of  sixty,  who 
entirely  filled  up  a  seat  designed  for  the  accommodation  of  two. 
It  was  no  less  a  personage  than  Lieut.  Gren.  Bento  Manuel,  the 
highest  military  ofiicer  of  the  southern  section  of  the  Empire, 
recently  from  Rio  Grande,  where  he  was  long  chief  in  command, 
and  where  he  did  efficient  service  for  the  government  during  great 
political  agitation  and  threatened  revolution.  He  is  so  stout 
as  to  be  readily  excused  from  walking  or  riding,  and  possesses, 
with  a  single  exception,  the  only  wheeled  carriage  in  the  Island 
of  St.  Catherine's. 

The  ringing  of  a  cracked  bell  at  the  Matriz,  and  the  gather- 
ing of  the  population  in  that  direction  on  the  evening  of  the 
21st,  led  me  to  it  again  as  a  point  of  observation.  It  was  the 
beginning  of  a  Novena,  or  daily  service,  of  nine  days'  continuance, 
in  commemoration  of  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost — the  follow- 
ing Sabbath  being  Whit-Sunday.  This  celebration  is  universal  in 
city  and  country ;  and  is  distinguished  by  an  observance,  the  ori- 
gin and  specific  meaning  of  which  I  have  been  unable  to  trace, 
that  of  the  choice  and  induction  into  office  for  a  year,  of  a  lad 
under  the  blasphemous  title  of  Emperor  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
He  presides  in  mock  majesty  at  the  festival,  and  is  regarded  with 
special  honor  at  all  others  during  his  continuance  in  office.  The 
selection  is  usually  from  a  family  of  wealth,  as  the  expenses 
attendant  upon  the  honor  involve  an  outlay  amounting  at  Rio  and 
other  chief  places  to  five  hundred,  a  thousand,  and  fifteen  hun- 
dred dollars.  This  is  appropriated  to  the  furnishing  of  dress, 
music,  lights,  and  refreshments  during  the  celebration.  The  em- 
pire over  which  he  sways  the  sceptre  comprises  the  apartments  of 
the  church,  in  which  the  gifts  brought  to  him  by  the  people  in  the 
name  of  the  Holy  Ghost  are  deposited,  and  an  enclosure  adjoin- 
ing, where  auctions  are  held  for   the   disposal  of  these  to  the 


364  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

highest  bidder.  On  this  occasion,  two  rooms  opening  from  the 
church  were  gayly  fitted  up,  one — a  side-chapel  with  altar  and 
crucifix — as  a  throne-room  for  the  Emperor,  and  the  other  for  the 
temporary  deposit  of  the  gifts.  In  front  of  these,  and  communi- 
cating directly  with  them,  a  large  auction-room  was  erected, 
screened  by  canvas  over  head,  and  furnished  with  benches  for  the  ac- 
commodation of  spectators  and  purchasers.  The  gifts  are  brought 
gratuitously  by  the  people,  and  the  proceeds  of  the  sales  go  to  the 
treasury  of  the  brotherhood  of  the  Holy  Ghost  for  purposes  of 
charity. 

As  I  arrived  a  procession  was  just  approaching.  It  was  led 
by  a  negro,  in  a  dirty  coarse  shirt  and  pantaloons,  the  common 
dress  of  a  slave,  bareheaded  and  barefooted,  who  bore  a  large 
flag  of  red  silk,  with  a  dove  embroidered  on  one  corner,  and  long 
streamers  of  ribbons  flowing  from  the  top  of  the  staff  on  which 
it  was  suspended.  It  was  the  sacred  banner  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
a  kiss  of  which,  or  the  burying  of  the  face  in  its  folds,  insures 
all  needed  blessing.  A  little  fellow,  eight  or  ten  years  of  age, 
followed,  beating  a  small  drum  with  all  his  might,  then  came  a 
man  in  ordinary  dress,  thrumming  on  a  guitar  the  accompani- 
ment of  a  monotonous  ditty,  sung  at  the  top  of  his  voice  as  loud 
as  he  could  bawl ;  the  complement  of  the  music  being  made 
up  by  a  fiddle  on  which  a  round-shouldered  old  Portuguese  was 
sawing  and  laboring,  with  fingers,  elbow,  and  head,  with  an  ear- 
nestness, to  give  full  effect  to  the  squeaking  and  screeching  sounds 
he  was  sending  forth,  as  if  life  itself  depended  on  the  zeal  he 
should  display. 

The  Emperor  elect  now  made  his  appearance,  a  lad  of  eleven  or 
twelve  years,  neatly  dressed  in  the  fashion  of  a  man,  as  the  usage 
with  boys  here  is,  having  a  broad  red  ribbon  across  his  shoulders, 
from  which  was  suspended  on  the  breast  a  large  silver  star  stamped 
with  a  dove,  emblematic  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Six  or  eight  men 
robed  in  short  cloaks  or  mantles  of  red  silk,  the  dress  of 
the  brotherhood,  bareheaded  and  carrying  lighted  wax  tapers, 
followed  him.     A  rabble  of  noisy  and  excited  boys  and   men, 


SINGULAR   USAGE.  365 

white,  black,  and  yellow,  made  up  tlie  cortege.  They  had  beeu 
to  escort  the  Emperor  from  his  residence  with  becoming  honor, 
to  open  the  festival. 

Previous  to  his  arrival  the  church  had  become  densely  filled, 
principally  with  females,  seated  closely  together  on  the  floor — • 
mistress  and  slave,  lady  and  beggar,  without  distinction  of  rank 
or  name,  black,  white,  and  every  intermediate  hue,  the  whole 
number  amounting  to  six  or  eight  hundred.  Through  this  crowd 
the  procession  made  its  way  up  the  nave,  the  musicians  still 
drumming  and  thrumming  and  scraping  on  their  iustruments, 
and  bawling  out  their  song  louder  than  ever.  A  priest  met  it  at 
the  high  altar ;  and  the  whole  returned  through  the  church  to 
the  depository  in  which  were  the  gifts.  These  he  consecrated  by 
prayer,  the  sprinkling  of  holy  water  and  fumigations  with  incense, 
after  which,  escorted  in  like  manner,  he  again  entered  the  church. 
Hundreds  of  men  in  addition  to  the  women,  now  lined  the  walls  and 
stood  closely  packed  together  along  the  entrance  to  the  church,  and 
the  service  of  the  Novena  commenced.     It  was  chanted  throuorh- 

o 

out  to  the  accompaniment  of  a  lively,  and  to  me  any  thing  but 
a  devotional  air.  The  whole  sounded  very  much  like  that  of  a  song 
I  recollect  to  have  heard  in  childhood,  beginning  with  the  line 
"  Marlbro'  has  gone  to  the  war,"  as  a  theme,  followed  with  varia- 
tions. At  dififerent  points  in  the  chanting  the  whole  audience 
joined  pleasantly  in  a  lively  chorus.  At  the  end  of  an  hour  this 
service  closed.  The  Emperor  made  his  way  in  the  manner  in  which 
he  had  arrived,  to  the  throne-room,  while  the  audience  hastened  to 
fill  to  suffocation  that  for  the  auction-room  in  front  of  it.  Bonfires 
were  kindled,  rockets  sent  up,  a  general  illumination  outside  dis- 
played, while  any  number  of  negroes  and  negresses,  venders  of 
refreshments  in  cakes,  candies,  and  orgeat,  rivalled  one  another  in 
bawling  out  the  superior  qualities  of  their  individual  stores, 
the  whole  scene  much  like  that  of  a  Fourth  of  July  night  at 
home.  A  band  of  music  struck  up  in  an  orchestra  near  the 
throne-room,  and  the  auctioneer  issuing  from  the  depository, 
bearing  a  bouquet  of  crystallized  sugar,  began  the  sale  by  a  solicita- 


366  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

tion  for  bids,  setting  off  the  value  of  the  article  with  the  merriment 
and  sallies  of  humor  which  give  reputation  to  the  office.  A  passage 
through  the  centre  of  the  place  was  kept  clear  ;  in  this  he  walked 
backwards  and  forwards,  giving  exercise  to  his  wit,  as  he  exhibited 
the  article  under  the  hammer.  Most  of  the  gifts,  this  first  even- 
ing, consisted  of  cakes  and  confectionery.  Some  of  the  bouquets 
of  sugar  flowers  were  most  artistically  manufactured ;  and  one 
sold  for  ninety  milreis,  or  forty-five  dollars. 

Additional  gifts  were  constantly  brought  in.  They  were 
generally  borne  in  trays  on  the  heads  or  in  the  hands  of  servants, 
accompanied  by  the  giver.  Children  too  were  often  the  bearers ; 
and  one  of  the  prettiest  sights  of  the  evening  was  that  of  a 
beautiful  little  girl  in  the  arms  of  her  father,  carrying  in  her 
bosom  two  young  doves,  white  as  drifted  snow,  and  as  gentle  and 
innocent  in  look  as  they  were  white. 

Each  offering  was  made  to  the  young  Emperor  on  the  bended 
knee,  and  to  each  one  thus  kneeling  before  him,  he  extended  a 
silver  dove,  forming  the  end  of  his  sceptre,  to  be  kissed,  and 
gave  in  return  a  small  roll  of  bread.  At  ten  o'clock  the  auction 
closed  for  the  night,  and  the  Emperor  was  escorted  to  his  home 
by  torchlight  as  he  had  arrived,  but  with  an  additional  rabble  for 
his  court,  and  a  higher  effort  in  noise  and  screeching  from  his 
band. 

May   29th. — Commodore  McKeever  and  Dr.    C have 

been  fellow  guests  with  me  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  Wells 
for  some  days.  Previous  to  their  arrival  I  had  taken  two  or 
three  pleasant  rides  with  our  host,  and  this  afternoon  our  whole 
party  enjoyed  another.  The  Commodore  and  I  were  particu- 
larly well  mounted ;  our  animals  were  at  once  so  spirited  and 
willing,  so  playful  and  gentle,  with  a  gait  as  easy  to  the  riders  as 
if  swaying  on  the  springs  of  a  well-poised  carriage.  The  weather 
too  was  charming  ;  and  our  route  after  the  first  half  mile  being 
one  which  we  had  not  before  taken,  had  the  additional  attraction 
of  novelty.  It  led  southward  along  the  curve  of  the  beach, 
and  was  thickly  bordered  on  one  side  with  the  American  aloe, 


KIDE   AT    DESTERRO.  367 

now  in  full  flower,  and  on  the  other  by  a  succession  of  neat  cot- 
tages embowered  in  orange  groves,  overtopped  by  palm  trees,  with 
dooryards  gay  in  the  bloom  of  the  scarlet  geranium  and  the 
dazzling  brilliancy  of  the  poinsetta.  The  road  for  a  mile  was  a 
continued  hamlet,  with  greater  evidences  of  thrift  and  general 
prosperity  than  any  suburb  we  had  passed  through.  On  leaving 
the  water  we  struck  into  a  narrow  valley,  lying  between  two 
ranges  of  hills ;  and  were  delighted  with  the  homelike  appear- 
ance of  the  well-cultivated  fields  and  rich  pasture  lands  of  the 
small  farms  scattered  through  it.  But  for  the  tell-tale  palm  tree, 
the  rustling  banana,  and  the  golden  orange,  we  might  have  fancied 
ourselves  in  some  prosperous  and  well-cultivated  little  valley  in 
New  England.  There  was  nothing  to  remind  us  of  being  in  a  slave 
country.  All  the  labor  in  cultivating  the  small  plantations  is  done 
by  the  owners  of  the  soil.  The  district  is  well  peopled,  and  the 
inhabitants  are  healthful,  prosperous,  and  seemingly  light-hearted. 
We  met  and  passed  many  groups  of  men  and  boys,  engaged  in 
various  rural  employments.  They  were  invariably  bright  and 
cheerful  in  looks,  and  most  civil  and  courteous  in  manners.  In 
general,  they  are  light  and  slender  in  figure,  and  elastic  in  move- 
ment ;  but  apparently  without  much  stamina,  and  are  far  from 
good  looking  in  feature.  The  females  in  early  youth  are  pas- 
sably good  looking,  and  having  fine  eyes  and  teeth,  might  in  some 
instances,  be  called  pretty ;  but  as  mothers,  they  soon  become 
haggard  and  homely.  The  climate  is  salubrious  and  not  exces- 
sively hot,  yet  the  complexions  of  the  mass  are  like  those  with 
us  who  are  under  the  influence  of  the  ague,  or  just  recover- 
ing from  a  bilious  fever.  This  is  true  of  the  pure-blooded  na- 
tives, if  any  such  there  be,  as  well  as  of  those  who  clearly  are 
a  mixed  race. 

The  special  object  of  our  ride  was  to  gain  a  point  of  view, 
on  the  top  of  a  mountain,  said  to  be  the  finest  on  the  island ; 
and,  after  a  ride  of  two  miles  in  the  valley,  we  turned  into  a  side 
road  for  the  ascent.  We  followed  the  meanderifigs  of  a  stream 
as  it  babbled  along  its  course,  and  soon  came  among  the  cabins 


368  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

of  the  dwellers  among  the  hills,  perched  like  birdsnests  on  ter- 
raced points,  on  either  hand  above  us,  in  the  midst  of  groves  of 
orange  trees  and  coffee  plants.  The  road  gradually  changed  into 
a  mere  bridle-path,  till  at  the  end  of  an  additional  two  miles  it 
suddenly  terminated  altogether,  at  a  barn  near  which  two  men 
were  standing.  To  these  Mr.  Wells  mentioned  the  object  of 
oir  ride,  and  made  an  inquiry  of  them  as  to  the  best  way  to  reach 
it ;  when,  for  the  first  time  since  I  have  been  in  Brazil,  I  heard 
a  reply  of  ill-nature  and  incivility.  The  elder  of  the  two,  in  a 
most  gruff  and  surly  manner,  said  there  was  no  way  to  go  up,  and 
if  there  were,  there  was  nothing  to  go  for — wishing  to  know  what 
business  we  had  there  at  all.  Without  regarding  his  mood  and 
manner,  Mr.  Wells  again  said,  "  Is  there  not  a  fine  prospect 
from  the  top  of  the  mountain,  and  a  path  by  which  we  may  reach 
it  ?  "  to  which  the  man  again  said,  "  No  !  there  is  nothing  but 
rocks,  and  I  don't  know  what  you  can  want  with  them  !  "  For- 
tunately, at  this  juncture,  a  third  person  made  his  appearance, 
whom  our  friend  at  once  recognized  as  a  regular  customer  in 
the  sale  to  him  of  coffee.  From  him  we  readily  learned  that 
there  was  a  fine  prospect,  at  a  short  distance  further,  but  that 
the  ascent  to  it  would  not  be  easily  made  on  horseback;  and, 
volunteering  to  lead  our  animals  to  his  cottage  close  by,  he  said 
he  would  accompany  us  the  rest  of  the  distance  on  foot.  We  soon 
discovered  our  conductor  to  differ  as  widely  from  his  boorish 
neighbor  in  taste  for  scenery  as  in  disposition.  He  was  not 
only  aware  of  the  magnificence  of  the  prospect  to  which  he  was 
leading  us,  but  said  he  very  often  went  up  to  the  point  command- 
ing it,  for  the  mere  enjoyment  of  so  fine  a  scene.  Its  elevation 
we  judged  to  be  two  thousand  feet ;  and  we  were  well  repaid  for 
the  ascent  by  the  grand  picture  spread  before  us.  This  embraced 
the  greater  part  of  the  entire  island ;  its  mountains  and  valleys, 
rivers  and  bays,  bold  promontories,  low  points  and  curving 
beaches,  with  the  whole  of  the  straits,  and  the  coasts  along  the 
continent  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 

On  descending  to  the  cottage  of  our  guide,  he  urged  us  to 


HABITS   IN    RURAL    LIFE.  369 

partake  of  a  cup  of  coffee  before  leaving ;  and  we  entered  his 
cabin,  more  for  the  purpose  of  a  peep  at  the  domestic  economy 
of  the  establishment  than  with  a  view  to  the  refreshment.  If 
this  home,  in  its  aspects  of  comfort,  may  be  taken  as  a  fair  speci- 
men of  its  class,  it  indicates  a  very  low  state  of  civilization 
among  the  rural  population.  It  consisted  of  a  single  room  with 
a  floor  of  earth.  The  few  articles  of  furniture  visible  were  of 
the  rudest  kind,  the  whole  interior  exhibiting  little  more  cleanli- 
ness and  order  than  the  wigwam  of  an  Indian.  A  slatternly- 
looking  wife,  surrounded  by  two  or  three  dirty  children,  did  not 
promise  much  for  the  nicety  of  the  coffee  she  might  prepare ; 
and  we  availed  ourselves  of  the  near  approach  of  night  and  the 
length  of  the  ride  to  the  town,  as  excuse  for  declining  the  prof- 
fered hospitality. 

The  habits  of  life  among  the  people  are  simple,  and  their 
diet  unvarying  and  frugal.  A  cup  of  coffee  and  a  biscuit 
made  of  the  farina  of  mandioca,  are  the  only  food  of  the  morn- 
ing, and  there  is  but  one  set  meal  during  the  day,  served  at 
noon.  Preparation  for  it,  however,  is  the  first  duty  of  the 
household,  in  the  morning ;  and  consists  in  putting  a  kettle  of 
water  over  the  fire.  In  this  a  small  piece  of  carne  seche^  or 
jerked  beef,  and  black  beans,  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the 
family,  are  placed,  and  kept  boiling  till  the  middle  of  the  day. 

The  leisure  of  the  evening  had  begun,  as  we  made  our  way 
down  the  mountain ;  and  the  inhabitants  were  seen  in  groups 
around  their  doors.  Every  cabin  had  its  crowd  of  children^  the 
ring  of  whose  joyous  laughter  in  their  varied  sports  and  play, 
echoing  from  side  to  side  of  the  little  valley,  added  fresh  impres- 
sions of  pleasure  to  the  scene.  The  ignorance  in  which  they 
are  brought  up,  however,  is  lamentable.  Ignorance  not  only  of 
letters  and  books,  but  of  almost  every  thing.  A  bright-looking 
and  handsome  lad  of  twelve  years,  the  son  of  our  civil  guide,  on 
being  asked  his  age,  said  he  did  not  know,  and  seemed  equally 
uninstructed  in  other  commonplace  matters.  Yet  he  was  evi- 
dently as  full  of  natural  intelligence  in  mind  as  he  was  active  in 
10* 


370  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

body.  He  is  one  of  the  little  milkmen  I  have  mentioned,  who 
crowd  the  market  square  in  the  morning,  and  who,  with  his  can 
of  milk  on  his  shoulder,  leaves  his  mountain  home  every  day  before 
the  dawn,  for  the  walk  of  four  miles  at  least,  by  the  most  direct 
path :  he  is  home  again  to  his  breakfast  of  coffee  and  farina,  by 
eight  o'clock. 

The  Indians  and  the  snakes  of  this  section  of  the  Empire  have 
been  among  our  topics  of  conversation  with  Mr.  Wells.  The 
settlement  of  the  white  man  extends  but  a  short  distance  inland 
from  the  coast :  not  more  than  fifty  or  sixty  miles  at  farthest. 
The  interior  is  still  a  wilderness  in  the  possession  of  wandering 
bands  of  the  Aborigines.  These  cherish  a  deadly  hatred  against 
the  whites ;  and,  prowling  along  the  frontiers  in  small  companies, 
rob  and  murder  them  whenever  they  find  opportunity.  Some- 
times they  venture  within  twenty  and  thirty  miles  of  the  coast. 
A  party  of  seven,  not  long  since,  made  an  attack  at  daybreak 
upon  the  shanty  of  an  American,  who  has  put  up  a  saw-mill  on 
the  borders  of  the  forest.  Though  single-handed,  he  hazarded  a 
shower  of  their  arrows,  and  afterwards  put  them  to  flight  by  the 
show  of  a  musket,  that,  from  the  dampness  of  the  priming- 
powder,  missed  fire. 

Venomous  snakes  are  said  to  be  numerous  on  the  island,  and 
some  are  found  occasionally  even  in  the  town.  Not  long  since,  a 
German  lady,  in  returning  from  a  party  in  the  evening  with  her 
husband,  trod  upon  one  whose  bite  is  considered  to  be  death. 
Foriunately,  her  foot  was  placed  near  its  head,  and  she  escaped 
its  fangs ;  and  though  it  coiled  itself  about  her  ankle,  she  suc- 
ceeded in  throwing  it  off  without  injury.  A  remedy  said  to  be 
a  specific  for  the  most  virulent  poison  of  these  reptiles  is  kept 
at  the  apothecary's ;  and  families  in  the  country  make  it  a  point 
to  have  a  supply  on  hand.  The  mixture  consists  of  six  drachms 
of  the  oil  of  amber,  two  of  the  spirits  of  ammonia,  and  one  of 
alcohol.  The  dose  is  twenty-four  drops  in  a  wine-glass  of 
brandy,  or  other  spirit,  three  or  four  times  a  day;  the  wound 
being  also  washed  and  kept  wet  with  it.     The  ammonia  is  the 


ANTIDOTE   TO   THE   POISON   OF   SNAKES.  371 

active  agent  in  the  cure ;  and  should  be  given  freely  till  a  pro- 
fuse perspiration  is  induced.  If  the  theory  of  some  be  true,  that 
the  virus  of  all  snakes  is  but  a  modified  form  of  prussic  acid,  the 
volatile  alkali,  ammonia,  is  the  antidote,  as  that  is  known  to 
neutralize  the  fatal  acid.  Alcohol  alone  is  thought  to  have 
effected  cures,  A  young  German  here  was  bitten  not  long  since 
in  the  country,  and  being  without  the  prescribed  antidote,  and 
unable  to  obtain  it,  unwilling  to  meet  in  consciousness  the  doom 
which  he  believed  to  await  him,  he  swallowed  a  whole  bottle  of  the 
common  rum  of  the  country,  that  he  might  be  thrown  into  a  state 
of  insensibility.  This  was  soon  the  case,  and  remaining  dead  drunk 
for  twenty-four  hours,  on  recovering  his  consciousness  he  was  free 
from  all  effects  of  the  bite.  Here  too,  there  may  have  been 
philosophy  in  the  cure.  The  poison  of  a  serpent  being  a  power- 
ful sedative,  its  effects  may  be  best  counteracted  by  a  powerful 
stimulant. 

A  sad  case  occurred  some  three  weeks  ago  at  Santa  Cruz. 
A  fine  young  man  of  twenty,  the  proprietor  of  a  small  plantation, 
was  at  work  with  his  slaves  preparing  a  piece  of  ground  for  a 
plantation  of  sugar-cane.  Coming  to  a  spot  in  which  the  bushes 
and  undergrowth  were  particularly  thick,  he  cautioned  the 
negroes  against  working  in  it  with  their  naked  feet  and  legs,  as  it 
had  the  appearance  of  a  piece  that  might  be  infested  with  snakes. 
Protected  himself  by  boots,  he  entered  to  open  a  w^y  in  advance, 
but  had  scarcely  done  so  before  the  fangs  of  di-jacaraca^  one  of  the 
most  poisonous  of  reptiles,  were  fastened  in  an  unprotected  part 
of  his  leg.  Neglecting  to  apply  immediate  remedies,  he  was  in  a 
short  time  a  corpse. 

May  29th. — I  have  been  complying  here  with  the  injunction 
recently  received  to  "  make  hundreds  of  sketches ;  "  and  this 
morning,  while  taking  one,  of  the  lower  parts  of  the  square  and 
market-house,  from  the  balcony  of  the  drawing-room,  had  an 
opportunity  of  introducing  the  Commodore  as  a  conspicuous 
figure.  In  a  stroll  in  the  square  before  breakfast,  he  stopped  for 
a   little   observation  near   the   groupings  of  men,  donkeys,  and 


372  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

milk-boys  in  front  of  the  market.  Espying  among  them  the 
bright  little  fellow  we  had  seen  at  his  father's  cabin  on  the  moun- 
tain, with  the  benevolence  and  good-will  of  his  nature,  he  bought 
the  whole  stock  of  boiled  beans  and  farina  of  an  old  negro 
woman  seated  on  the  grass  near  by,  and  gave  the  boys  in 
general  a  breakfast.  They  all  seemed  delighted,  especially  the 
old  negress  in  receiving  the  pay,  and  had  quite  a  frolic.  The 
gratuity  of  a  penny  also  fell  to  each  boy.  With  characteristic 
improvidence  and  a  development  of  the  national  passion,  the 
little  fellows,  after  having  their  stomachs  well  filled,  set  to  and 
gambled  with  each  other  for  the  next  hour,  till  every  penny  they 
had  thus  received  had  made  its  way  to  one  pocket. 

May  21st — The  Novena  and  subsequent  auction  was  in  regu- 
lar (Continuance  every  evening  of  the  last  week.  On  Thursday  our 
party  again  attended  the  former  to  hear  the  music,  and  the  latter 
to  catch  the  manners  of  the  people.  All  the  chief  dignitaries  of 
the  place  were  present,  the  President  of  the  Province,  the  Chief 
Justice,  the  Treasurer,  and  the  Captain  of  the  Port.  To  the 
residence  of  the  last  we  were  invited  to  a  supper  at  the  close  of 
the  auction,  and  the  next  morniug  waited  on  the  President  at  the 
palace,  or  Government  House.  This  is  a  spacious  and  lofty  build- 
ing, the  ground-floor  in  front  serving  both  as  the  entrance-hall  acd 
as  a  guard-room  for  a  company  of  soldiers,  and  the  corresponding 
rooms  above  being  divided  into  a  cabinet  for  official  business  on 
one  side  of  the  staircase,  and  a  grand  sala  for  reception  on  the 
other,  with  an  intervening  ante-room  common  to  both.  When 
our  visit  was  announced,  the  President  was  engaged  with  official 
visitors  in  his  cabinet,  but  soon  made  his  appearance.  He  is  a 
small,  black-eyed,  intelligent-looking  man,  careless  and  slovenly 
in  dress,  and  most  simple  and  republican  in  his  manners.  As  he 
spoke  Portuguese  only,  the  conversation  was  necessarily  carried 
on  through  interpretation  by  Mr.  Wells,  and  the  interview  was 
more  brief  than  it  otherwise  would  have  been. 

The  Presidents  of  the  Provinces  are  appointed  by  the  Empe- 
ror, and  their  salaries  paid  from  the  Imperial  treasury.     These 


PKESIDENTS   OF   THE    PROVINCES.  373 

vary  in  amount,  in  proportion  to  the  extent  and  importance  of  the 
Province.  That  of  the  President  of  St.  Catherine  is  four  thou- 
sand milreis,  or  two  thousand  dollars.  The  selection  for  the 
office  is  usually  from  persons  who  are  strangers  in  the  Province 
for  which  the  appointment  is  made,  that  the  influence  of  family 
connections  and  personal  friendships  may  not  prove  temptations 
to  partiality  in  the  distribution  of  the  gifts  and  emoluments 
under  his  control. 

An  anecdote  related  of  a  former  incumbent  of  the  office, 
throws  light  upon  the  spirit  sometimes  induced  by  party  politics 
here,  and  shows  the  despotism  in  small  matters  which  a  high  official 
may  exercise  with  impunity.  The  public  square  had  been  lined, 
at  great  care  and  expense,  with  a  closely  planted  row  of  date 
palms.  Uniform  in  height  and  size,  in  the  course  of  a  few  years 
they  became  sufficiently  grown  to  furnish  by  their  plumed  tops  a 
beautiful  screen  against  the  sun,  and  were  a  great  ornament  to 
the  place.  The  individual  referred  to,  whose  name — Pariero 
Pinto — like  that  of  Erostratus,  deserves  for  a  similar  reason 
to  be  perpetuated,  was  unpopular  as  President.  Ambitious, 
however,  of  becoming  at  the  expiration  of  his  term  the  Deputy 
of  the  Province  in  the  Imperial  Legislature,  he  offered  himself  to 
the  people  as  a  candidate.  An  opponent  was  elected  by  accla- 
mation. To  avenge  himself  for  the  slight  manifested  by  his  utter 
defeat,  he  deliberately  set  the  soldiers  under  his  command  at 
work  in  felling  the  palms ;  and  in  the  course  of  a  single  day,  the 
stately  trunks  and  graceful  foliage  of  the  whole  were  laid  in  the 
dust. 

May  31st — On  Saturday  the  29th,  great  preparation  was 
seen  to  be  making  around  the  principal  church  for  the  festival 
of  Whit-Sunday,  which  occurred  yesterday.  A  row  of  palm 
trees  were  planted  in  front ;  the  verandah,  in  which  the  auction 
during  the  No  vena  had  been  held,  was  draped  and  festooned  anew 
with  wreaths  of  evergreen  and  gay  flowers ;  and  tar-barrels,  filled 
with  combustible  materials,  were  placed  on  the  square  for  bon- 
fires at  night,  though  the  moon  is  now  in  her  full.     The  dawn  of 


374  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

the  next  day  was  ushered  in  with  the  ringing  of  bells,  the  setting 
off  of  rockets,  the  beating  of  drums,  and  the  playing  of  bands  of 
music.  On  looking  out,  every  thing  in  the  vicinity  of  the  church 
was  seen  to  indicate  a  grand  festival.  The  temporary  palm  grove 
looked  as  if  it  had  sprung  up  by  magic.  Gay  flags  aud  streamers 
of  all  colors  floated  from  their  plumed  heads,  from  the  roof  of 
the  church  and  its  verandahs,  and  from  various  other  points. 
After  a  service  of  worship  in  the  drawing-room  of  Mr.  Wells, 
Dr.  C and  I  walked  over  to  witness  the  scene.  The  con- 
gregation, consisting  chiefly  of  females,  had  just  begun  to  assem- 
ble. There  are  no  seats  or  pews  in  the  churches  here,  the  whole 
interior  being  an  open  area  in  which  all  seat  themselves,  or  kneel 
upon  the  bare  pavement  or  floor,  without  the  mat  or  rug  which  I 
have  seen  elsewhere.  Soon  the  whole  space  became  closely 
crowded.  Most  of  the  women  were  in  full  dress ;  the  pre- 
dominating materials  being  black  silks,  satins,  and  velvets, 
with  short  sleeves  and  low  necks,  and  a  half  handkerchief  of 
fancy-colored  silk  fastened  round  the  throat  by  a  brooch.  A 
black  lace  mantilla  upon  the  head,  and  the  indispensable  fan, 
completed  the  costume.  The  variety  of  garb,  however,  was 
considerable ;  and  varied  according  to  the  circumstances  and 
position  in  life  of  the  wearer.  Some,  as  penitents,  were  draped 
in  mantillas  of  black  cloth,  so  folded  over  the  head  as  to  reach  to 
the  eyes,  and  fall  on  either  side  over  the  whole  figure  to  the  feet. 
Two  or  three  colored  women,  whether  veritable  Arabs  or  not, 
wore  the  thick  white  cotton  veil  of  the  women  of  the  East,  so 
arranged  as  to  leave  little  of  the  face  except  the  eyes  and  nose 
exposed,  while  long  cloth  cloaks  reaching  to  the  floor,  enveloped 
their  persons.  Many  of  the  most  expensively  and  most  tastefully 
dressed  persons  were  negresses.  These  entered  with  a  self- 
possession  in  air  and  movement,  if  not  with  a  stateliness  and 
grace,  rivalling  those  of  the  most  aristocratic  of  the  whites ;  and 
were  followed,  like  them,  by  one  or  more  well-dressed  servants. 
We  were  told  that  they  were  the  wives,  and  in  some  instances  the 
mistresses,  of  some  of  the  most  wealthy  of  the  citizens. .  A  few 


CEREMONIES   ON   WHIT-SUNDAY.  375 

were  in  colored  silks  and  dress  bonnets  of  Parisian  make,  but  the 
black  lace  veil,  with  or  without  the  addition  of  a  simple  flower, 
either  natural  or  artificial  in  the  hair,  was  the  general  head-dress. 
All  the  children  were  arrayed  as  if  for  a  dress  party.  By  de- 
grees there  was  a  perfect  jam  on  the  floor ;  the  greatest  order 
and  propriety  however  prevailed,  each  person  sitting  quietly  with 
the  face  turned  reverently  towards  the  high  altar. 

At  length  a  movement  and  bustle  in  the  crowd  without — the 
whizzing  and  explosion  of  rockets;  the  pealing  of  bells,  the 
heathenish  beating  of  drums,  the  tinkliDg  of  a  guitar,  and  scraping 
of  a  fiddle,  with  the  bawlings  of  the  accompanying  songs  indicated 
the  approach  of  the  young  Emperor.  He  soon  entered  the  church 
with  the  cortege  before  described,  and  forced  his  way  through  the 
dense  mass  of  women  up  the  nave  to  the  chancel,  where  seats  were 
in  reserve  for  his  mock  court  and  for  the  ofiiciating  priests.  The 
boy  was  now  robed  in  imperial  dress — white  small-clothes,  silk 
stockings,  and  gold-buckled  pumps ;  a  flowing  mantle  of  state  of 
crimson  velvet  and  gold,  lined  with  white  satin,  a  ruff"  of  broad 
lace  around  the  neck ;  and  over  all,  the  ribbon  and  decoration  of 
the  Holy  Grhost  before-mentioned.  A  crown  of  silver  of  the 
imperial  pattern  richly  wrought,  and  a  silver  sceptre  were  carried 
before  him  on  a  cushion  of  velvet.  A  little  girl  of  five  or  six 
years,  apparently  his  sister,  followed  him.  She  was  in  full  dress 
as  an  Empress,  in  tissues  of  silver  and  gold  over  pink  satin, 
with  a  train  of  green  and  gold,  and  head-dress  of  ostrich  fea- 
thers. The  lad  was  seated  on  a  throne,  at  the  right  of  the  high 
altar,  the  mock  Empress  on  a  chair  of  state  beside  him  ;  the 
twenty  or  thirty  gentlemen  in  attendance  stood  on  the  left 
opposite,  while  the  vicar  and  his  assistants  in  the  richest  of  their 
priestly  adornments,  took  their  stations  in  the  centre  at  the  altar. 
All  this  was  done  with  the  most  perfect  stage  effect.  As  if  to 
give  full  opportunity  to  impress  the  imagination  with  this,  a 
kind  of  interlude  was  introduced  in  the  form  of  a  procession 
from  the  vesting-room  or  sacristy,  into  a  side  chapel  near  the 
chancel,  from  which  the  vicar,  under  a  canopy  of  crimson  velvet, 


376  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

supported  on  four  gilt  staves  by  an  equal  number  of  attendants, 
fetched  some  seemingly  precious  thing,  the  consecrated  wafer, 
a  relic,  or  the  anointing  oil,  and  placed  it  on  the  altar  where 
the  crown  and  sceptre  were  already  laid.  The  full  coronation 
service  was  now  commenced  and  performed  in  all  its  parts, 
including  the  consecration,  the  anointing,  the  crowning,  and 
the  enthronement,  followed  by  the  obeisance  and  kissing  of 
hands,  and  ending  with  the  coronation  anthem  ;  the  whole  was 
gone  through  with,  seriously  and  solemnly,  as  it  could  have  been  at 
the  coronation  of  Don  Pedro  himself  Mass  was  then  chanted, 
after  which  the  vicar  was  escorted  through  a  side  chapel  to  a  con- 
cealed staircase  ;  and  making  his  appearance  in  a  pulpit  projecting 
overhead  from  the  wall,  proceeded  to  deliver  a  sermon  of  fifteen 
or  twenty  minutes'  length.  It  was  for  the  most  part  legendary 
and  fabulous  in  matter ;  but  throughout  impressive  and  eloquent 
in  voice  and  manner.  The  eager  and  solemn  attention  which  was 
given,  and  the  fixedness  of  every  eye  and  every  ear  upon  the 
speaker,  proved  the  readiness  of  the  people  to  hear  and  receive 
instruction ;  and  I  could  but  think  with  deep  feeling  of  the  effect 
which  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  in  its  simplicity  might  produce, 
in  speedily  substituting  the  sacrifices  of  the  heart  for  the  crossings 
and  bowings,  the  genuflexions  and  prostrations,  with  which  the 
pantomime  of  the  priests  at  the  altar  is  now  accompanied.  I  was 
never  before  so  deeply  impressed  with  a  sense  of  the  profanity 
and  idolatry  of  what  is  here  called  religion,  as  while  contrasting 
in  my  mind  this  evidence  of  a  "hearing  ear,"  among  the  people, 
with  the  puerilities  and  impiety  of  the  childish  show  which 
preceded  the  discourse.  It  is  seldom  that  a  sermon  is  preached, 
and  more  seldom  still  one  that  is  calculated  to  edify  or  produce 
any  practical  effects  upon  the  morals,  or  true  devotion  in  the 
heart.  The  people  are  not  bigoted,  and  are  desirous  of  religious 
instruction ;  so  much  so  that,  I  am  told,  instances  are  known  in 
which  individuals  have  sent  fifty  miles  for  a  tract;  and,  it  is 
thought  that  they  would  here  readily  attend  Protestant  preaching 
in  their  own  language. 


PAY    OF    THE    CLERGY.  377 

Tlie  vicars  of  the  churches  are  appointed  by  the  Emperor,  and 
paid  by  the  state.  The  salary  of  the  incumbent  at  the  Matriz  is 
fifteen  hundred  milreis,  or  about  seven  hundred  and  fifty  dollars ; 
a  living  which,  with  the  perquisites  of  marriage,  burial,  and 
baptism,  amounts  to  about  two  thousand  dollars  a  year.  In 
general  the  character  of  these  pastors  is  dissolute.  Their  vows 
of  celibacy  are  openly  disregarded ;  they  live  almost  without 
exception  in  a  state  of  concubinage.  One  of  the  priests  here  has 
a  family  of  ten  mulatto  children ;  and  another,  a  former  confessor 
in  the  royal  family  of  Portugal  and  long  resident  at  St.  Catherine, 
who  recently  died  of  yellow  fever  at  Rio,  left  also  a  large  family. 
The  Jesuits  are  more  exemplary  in  regard  to  their  vows  of 
celibacy,  and  the  bishop  of  Kio  is  among  those  who  are  above 
reproach  in  this  respect. 

After  the  sermon  the  young  Emperor  and  Empress,  attended 
by  the  sacred  banner,  the  noisy  musicians,  and  the  usual  cortege 
of  dignitaries,  proceeded  to  their  stations  in  the  auction-room, 
where  the  sales,  we  were  told,  continued  with  increased  animation 
and  mirthfulness  till  10  o'clock  at  night. 

To-day  is  a  fete  also,  and  an  auction  day.  During  it  we  made 
a  call  at  the  residence  of  the  Captain  of  the  Port,  in  acknowledg- 
ment of  the  civilty  of  the  supper-party  to  which  we  had  been 
invited.  This  dignitary  was  at  the  church.  He  was  sent  for, 
and  apologized  when  we  took  our  leave,  for  not  joining  us  in  a 
walk,  by  saying  that  duty  required  his  attendance  upou  the 
Emperor. 

The  variety  and  the  quantity  of  the  confectionery  made, 
presented,  and  sold  at  these  festivals  is  surprising.  Every  device 
of  ingenuity  is  put  in  requisition  for  the  production  of  it  in  new 
forms.  The  lady  of  the  Captain  of  the  Port  showed  us  a  very 
large  tray  of  work  in  sugar  and  flour,  most  elaborately  wrought 
in  its  forms,  and  tastefully  finished  in  coloring  and  gilding.  It 
had  been  purchased  at  the  auction  for  forty-two  dollars,  and 
presented  to  her  by  a  friend.  The  whole  was  the  workmanship 
of  an  old  lady  of  more  than  three-score  years  and  ten,  who  had 


378  BKAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

given  four  months'  time  to  its  manufacture.  The  chief  object 
seemed  to  have  been  to  furnish  the  greatest  variety  in  man,  beast 
and  bird*  Every  article  was  true  to  nature  in  figure  and  color- 
ing ;  cottages  and  groves,  fruits,  flowers,  and  vegetables,  speci- 
mens in  conchology,  entomology,  and  the  whole  range  of  natural 
history,  with  a  wide  margin  in  the  catalogue  for  what  was  purely 
imaginative.  The  whole  presented  a  striking  evidence  of  the 
ingenuity,  taste,  and  unwearying  industry  of  the  aged  devotee. 

And  now,  you  will  say,  "  Why  give  so  much  time  to  the 
observation  and  to  the  description  of  such  puerilities,  to  say  the 
least  of  them,  as  constituted  the  chief  services  of  the  church  here 
on  Sunday  ?  "  I  answer,  that  I  may  certainly  know  by  the  "  see- 
ing of  the  eye,"  as  well  as  by  the  "  hearing  of  the  ear,"  the 
distance  to  which  this  people  are  removed  from  the  simplicity 
and  purity  of  the  Gospel;  and  that  you  may  judge  of  the  causes 
of  their  ignorance  and  superstition.  These  plays  are  acted,  and 
these  festivals  prolonged  and  varied  for  the  amusement  of  the 
populace,  and  to  keep  the  masses  content  under  the  control  of 
their  spiritual  guides.  Lights  and  music,  dress  and  flowers,  form 
and  ceremonies,  the  waving  of  banners  and  swinging  of  censers — 
the  glare  and  glitter  of  the  stage,  are  thus  made  to  excite  the 
imagination,  and  satisfy  the  thoughtless  and  ignorant  mind  with 
fleeting  shadows,  in  place  of  enduring  good.  The  whole  system 
of  Romanism  as  exhibited  here,  is  little  else  than  Paganism 
in  disguise ;  a  system  in  which  old  idols  are  presented  under 
new  names,  and  heathen  processions  and  ceremonies  substituted 
for  that  worship  which  is  "  in  spirit  and  in  truth." 

June  ISth. — We  took  leave  of  Mr.  Wells  and  of  Desterro 
the  day  following  my  last  date;  and  two  days  ago  made  an 
attempt  to  get  to  sea ;  but  a  head  wind  set  in,  and  still  prevents 
our  departure.  All  hands  are  pleased  with  the  delay ;  we  cannot 
soon  weary  of  such  a  place,  the  scenery  is  so  beautiful,  the 
climate  so  fine,  the  walks  and  rides  so  picturesque  and  rural,  and 
the  supplies  for  the  refreshment  of  all  hands  are  so  abundant  and 
so  cheap.     In  addition  to  the  fresh  beef  furnished  to  the  ship's 


PASTIME  AT  SANTA  CRUZ.  379 

company,  any  quantity  of  pigs,  turkeys,  chickens,  eggs,  vegetables, 
and  fruit  is  offered  alongside  in  canoes,  for  private  trade  with  the 
different  messes  and  with  individuals  of  the  crew. 

In  the  attempt  to  get  to  sea,  we  changed  our  anchorage  two 
or  three  miles  northward  from  the  forts,  and  were  brought  into 
the  immediate  neighborhood  of  two  beautiful  little  bays,  encircled 
by  gracefully  curving  beaches  of  white  sand.  Both  abound  in 
picturesque  and  wild  scenery  ;  and  are  in  many  places  filled  with 
orange  groves  overburdened  with  fruit,  now  in  full  season.  Far 
from  any  grog-shop  or  means  of  dissipation  to  the  crews,  the  boats 
ply  backwards  and  forwards  from  the  ship  to  the  shore  at  all 
hours  of  the  day,  filled  with  officers  ar.d  men  in  the  elajoyment  of 
a  kind  of  saturnalia,  in  search  of  fruits^  and  flowers,  and  every 
thing  rare  and  curious  in  nature.  Some  of  the  cacti,  air  plants,  and 
parasites  now  in  full  bloom,  are  superb  in  their  beauty.  A  hundred 
delicious  oranges  can  be  purchased  for  a  penny ;  and,  but  for  the 
presence  of  our  ship,  would  not  be  worth  to  their  owners  the 
shaking  from  the  trees.  It  is,  too,  the  season  of  sugar-making. 
The  apparatus  and  entire  process  are  most  rude  and  simple : 
each  small  plantation  being  furnished  with  a  primitive  mill  of 
two  rollers  of  timber  to  extract  the  juice,  and  a  rough  trough  or 
two  to  conduct  it  to  a  boiler.  The  eating  of  the  cane,  and  an 
occasional  dip  into  the  troughs  and  into  the  half  crystallized 
contents  of  the  cooling-pans,  offer  to  all  quite  a  tempting  pas- 
time. St.  Catherine  seems  to  be  a  province  of  small  proprietors, 
whose  productions,  derived  from  their  own  labors,  exceed  but  little 
the  supply  of  their  private  wants.  Each  carries  to  the  market  a 
few  hundred  pounds  only  of  coffee  and  of  sugar  annually — brought 
to  the  purchaser  in  small  quantities,  at  different  times,  when  some 
foreign  article  is  needed. 

The  coffee  of  the  island  is  of  a  superior  quality,  and  the  chief 
of  its  products :  as  it  also  is  of  the  whole  empire,  though  intro- 
duced into  the  country  by  the  Franciscan  Friar  Villaso  so  recently 
as  the  year  1774.  The  first  bush  was  planted  by  him  in  that  year 
in  the  garden  of  the  convent  of  San  Antonio,  at  Bio  de  Janicro. 


380  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

It  was  not  till  the  revolt  of  St.  Domingo  that  its  price  became 
such  as  to  lead  to  its  general  culture  here.  In  1809,  when  coffee 
was  first  imported  into  the  United  States  from  Brazil,  the  whole 
produce  of  the  empire  amounted  only  to  30,000  bags ;  this  year 
it  is  estimated  that  it  will  amount  to  2,000,000,  or  a  value  of 
more  than  $16,000,000.  The  plants  blossom  in  August,  Septem- 
ber, and  October ;  and  the  crops  are  gathered  in  March,  April, 
and  May. 

My  last  ride  at  Santa  Cruz  was  with  Captain  Cathcart,  in  a 
visit  to  an  estate  called  "  Las  Palmas,"  or  the  palms,  recently  pur- 
chased by  him.  It  lies  on  the  coast,  ten  miles  north  of  his 
present  residence.  Mr.  W ,  Captain  Pearson's  clerk,  accom- 
panied us,  for  the  purpose  of  making  some  correction  in  the 
"  plot  "  of  the  plantation,  drawn  by  a  surveyor.  We  were  to  have 
started  at  an  early  hour  of  the  day,  but  a  pouring  rain  prevented. 
This  state  of  the  weather,  however,  changed  afterwards  into 
occasional  heavy  showers ;  and,  at  the  risk  of  being  drenched  ■ 
b}^  these,  we  ventured  to  set  off  at  eleven  o'clock.  The  road  is  a 
mule-track,  and  at  places,  for  long  distances,  consists  of  the  hard 
sand  of  the  beach.  The  frequent  streams  flowing  into  the  sea 
from  the  interior  are  so  swollen  by  late  rains,  that  we  found 
difficulty  in  fording  them  in  safety.  A  second  heavy  shower  after 
we  started,  came  hastening  upon  us  just  as  we  were  entering  upon 
the  longest  stretch  of  beach  on  the  route.  This  was  smooth  and 
hard,  and  afforded  us  a  good  opportunity  of  trying  to  outstrip  the 
storm,  till  we  could  reach  some  place  of  shelter.  Captain  Cath- 
cart is  an  exceedingly  stout  and  heavy  man — fairly  stuffed  into 

his  clothes,  and  weighing  250  or  280  pounds.     Mr.  W is  very 

long  and  very  lean,  with  legs  and  neck  like  a  crane,  and  arms  to 
correspond.  My  own  physique  is  familiar  to  you  ;  and  you  would 
have  been  amused  at  the  sight,  could  you  have  witnessed  the 
manner  in  which  we  three  scampered  over  this  part  of  the  road, 
with  the  pelting  rain  and  rushing  wind  in  full  pursuit.  A  cotton 
umbrella  and  an  overcoat  kept  me  from  the  wet :  but  it  was  the 


IMPOVERISHED   GEEMANS.  381 

last  of  the  old  umbrella — ^before  the  wind  had  well  reached 
us,  the  outside  had  become  the  in,  the  top  the  bottom,  and  the 
whole  structure  of  whalebone,  steel,  and  muslin,  an  irremediable 
ruin. 

About  midway  of  the  distance  we  came  to  a  hamlet  of  two 
or  three  miserable  huts,  the  remains  of  a  settlement  of  poor 
Germans,  who  had  been  tempted  from  their  distant  homes  by  the 
flattering  inducements  to  immigration  held  out  by  the  government 
of  Brazil,  but  to  whom,  on  their  arrival,  the  poorest  sections  of 
land  in  the  region  had  been  allotted  as  the  promised  gratuity. 
These,  the  settlers  had  no  means  of  making  profitable ;  and  they 
are  now  left  to  disappointment  and  neglect.  They  are  wretchedly 
poor ;  and  those  of  them  whom  we  saw  looked  pale  and  thin,  care- 
worn and  ill.  Immediately  beside  the  steep  and  worn-out  lands 
assigned  to  them,  there  is  a  wide  tract  of  level  country  belonging 
to  the  government,  upon  which  these  poor  foreigners,  had  it  been 
appropriated  to  them,  would  not  only  have  gained  a  living,  but  in 
all  probability  acquired  an  independence. 

On  leaving  these  cabins,  at  which  we  halted  a  moment  for 
a  cup  of  water,  we  began  to  ascend  the  spur  of  a  mountain 
which  forms  a  headland  on  the  coast,  separating  the  bay  along 
the  beach  of  which  we  had  come,  from  that  on  the  opposite  side, 
where  the  estate  we  were  to  visit  is  situated.  The  hill  is  un- 
wooded  and  steep,  the  path  was  very  slippery,  and  the  ascent 
difficult ;  but  we  accomplished  it  slowly,  with  fine  views  on  our 
right  over  a  widespread  alluvial  plain  covered  with  thick  set 
forests  : 

"  A  habitation  sober  and  demure 
p-or  ruminating  creatures  :  a  domain 
For  quiet  things  to  wander  in ;   a  haunt 
In  which  the  heron  should  delight  to  feed 
By  the  shy  rivers,  and  the  pelican 
Upon  the  cypress,  and  the  pine  in  lonely  thought, 
Might  sit  and  sun  himseU"." 


382  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

In  place  of  the  heron  and  the  pelican,  however,  we  had  the 
Urapongo — a  large  bird  of  the  parrot  tribe,  which,  like 

"  A  flaky  weight  of  >Yiuter's  purest  snow," 

was  clearly  seen  at  a  long  distance  in  brilliant  whiteness  amid 
the  dark  green  of  a  tree-top — sending  forth  its  peculiar  and 
solitary  song,  in  notes  as  shrill  and  metallic  as  the  gratings  of  a 
coarse  file  upon  steel,  of  which  they  forcibly  reminded  me. 

Cathcart,  from  his  Anglo-Saxon  enterprise  and  energy,  and 
consequent  thrift  and  increasing  wealth,  has  become  quite  the 
great  man  of  the  region ;  and  seems  to  be  in  favor  and  on  most 
familiar  terms  with  all  the  inhabitants,  black  and  white.  He 
gave  to  every  dwelling  we  passed  by,  whether  near  at  hand  or 
afar  off,  a  hail  of  good  will  in  one  form  or  another,  calling  forth  a 
quick  response  from  the  unseen  occupants,  and  the  speedy  appear- 
ance of  master,  mistress,  or  slave.  After  gaining  the  level  of 
the  mountain,  we  came  upon  a  cluster  of  mud  houses  surrounded 
by  an  orange  grove,  situated  upon  an  elevation  on  one  side  of  the 
road,  the  owner  of  which,  an  old  Portuguese,  we  were  told  was 
worth  a  hundred  thousand  milreis,  or  more  than  fifty  thousand 
dollars.  As  he  will  be  the  next  neighbor  of  our  host  on  his  new 
estate,  we  turned  aside  for  a  moment  to  interchange  salutations 
with  the  family.  The  whole  aspect  of  things,  in  huts  and 
negroes,  in  the  mistress  and  an  only  child,  a  boy  of  ten  or  twelve 
years,  was  very  slovenly,  very  slip-shod,  and  very  filthy.  The 
wife  is  a  lively,  black-eyed,  chatty  woman,  scarcely  yet  in 
middle  life ;  but  the  husband  a  gray-headed  and  withered  old  ' 
man  of  more  than  three-score  years  and  ten.  He  is  a  great 
miser  ;  and  had  on  an  old  jacket  of  many  colors,  with  patch  upon 
patch,  till  it  appeared  to  be  of  treble  thickness.  This  he  al- 
ways wears  both  at  home  and  abroad,  and  never  by  any  chance 
lays  aside.  It  is  said  to  be  inlaid  with  gold.  The  captain  began 
at  once  to  banter  with  him  for  the  purchase  of  it,  offering  a  very 
large  sum,  and  causing  by  his  jests  in  regard  to  it,  great  laughter 
among  the  negroes,  and  one  or  two  white  laborers  near  by ;  but 


ESTATE   OF   LAS  PALMAS.  383 

the  owner  seemed  to  have  no  notion  to  close  a  bargain  in  the  case. 
We  did  not  dismount ;  but  accepted  the  offer  of  a  drink  of  fresh 
cane-juice  from  a  sugar  mill  near  by.  It  was  brought  to  us  in  an 
old  calabash,  and  tasted  neither  sweet  nor  clean. 

Before  reaching  this  place,  we  had  entered  into  a  wood,  and 
were  charmed  with  the  variety  and  brilliancy  of  the  bloom- 
scarlet  and  yellow,  pink,  purple,  and  white — exhibited  in  air- 
plants  and  parasites,  creepers  and  flowery  trees.  Besides  a  great 
variety  of  the  palm,  there  were  wild  figs,  laurels,  myrtles,  cassias, 
and  a  kind  of  silk  cotton  tree — chorisia  speciosa — with  large  rose- 
colored  blossoms.  The  climbers  are  superb  ;  and  give  to  the  trees' 
they  overrun  an  air  of  great  magnificence.  This  is  particularly  the 
case  in  the  Solandra  grandiflora^  with  its  large  trumpet-shaped 
flowers ;  and  a  species  of  fuschia — -fuschia  integrifolia,  which, 
running  up  to  the  tops  of  the  loftiest  trees,  falls  down  in  graceful 
festoons  of  crimson  flowers.  Among  the  undergrowth  the  scarlet 
blossom  of  the  cana  speciosa  glared  brightly  on  the  eye.  The 
forest  did  not  appear  to  be  primitive ;  but  here  and  there  a 
monarch  of  the  wood  was  seen,  which  could  have  attained  its 
height  and  widespread  dimensions  only  by  the  growth  of  centuries. 

While  yet  high  on  the  mountain's  side,  we  opened  a  full  and 
magnificent  view  of  the  new  purchase  of  Captain  Cathcart.  It 
embraces  the  entire  superficies  of  a  rich  valley,  ten  miles  at  least 
in  circumference,  encircled  on  three  sides  by  lofty  timber-covered 
mountains,  whose  tops  are  the  boundaries  of  the  possession. 
These  terminate  on  either  hand  in  bold  promontories,  jutting  into 
the  sea,  while  between  them  sweeps  a  curving  sand-beach,  a  mile 
and  more  in  extent.  A  fine  stream  meanders  through  this  domain. 
A  rocky  islet,  in  the  centre  of  the  bay  formed  by  the  projecting 
headlands,  is  tufted  with  palm-trees,  and  gives  name  to  the  estate. 
Though  but  partially  reclaimed  from  its  primitive  condition,  and 
for  the  most  part  a  luxuriant  mass  of  woodland  only,  in  its  wide 
expanse,  manifest  richness  of  soil,  and  evident  capabilities  of 
improvement  under  the  axe  and  the  plough,  it  seemed  to  the  eye  as 
thus  pointed  out  to  us,  to  be  quite  a  principality.     As  an  isolated 


384  BRAZEL   AND    LA   PLATA. 

possession  I  have  seen  nothing  like  it  in  Brazil.  The  history  of 
the  property  may  have  added,  perhaps,  to  the  interest  with  which 
I  looked  upon  it  now  in  the  hands  of  a  new  possessor.     The  late 

proprietor,  Senor  De  L ,  a  man  of  good  family,  good  education 

and  good  breeding,  had  been  reduced  by  his  imprudence,  mis- 
management, indolence,  and  I  may  add  vice,  to  the  necessity  of 
disposing  of  it  at  a  ruinous  sacrifice.  I  had  seen  him  the  day 
before  on  board  the  Congress,  bearing  the  air  and  address  of  a 
gentleman,  mingled  with  the  dejection  of  a  confessed  bankrupt : 
one  not  able  to  work,  and  too  proud  to  beg.  In  the  morning 
before  setting  off  from  the  consulate,  I  had  met,  too,  a  daughter 
of  his,  of  eighteen,  decidedly  the  finest-looking  and  most  attractive 
native  female  I  have  seen  in  Brazil :  lovely,  not  only  from  positive 
beauty,  but  from  evident  amiability  and  feminine  gentleness. 
And  now,  when  I  s^w  the  exulting  eye  with  which  the  new  pur- 
chaser, the  rough  and  uneducated  whaleman,  surveyed  the  lordly 
domain,  I  could  not  but  think  of  the  dispossessed  and  impov- 
erished gentleman  and  his  children,  and  sympathise  with  them  in 
the  loss  of  such  an  estate. 

Shortly  after  commencing  the  gradual  descent  of  the  moun- 
tain, a  rustic  gate  was  pointed  out  as  the  entrance  to  "  the  Palms." 
The  distance  from  this  to  the  house  is  about  two  miles  5  and  a 
little  taste  and  labor  would  convert  it  into  a  parklike  and  lovely 
drive — ^first  through  interlacing  woods  down  the  declivity,  and  then 
over  the  green  sward  of  a  natural  meadow,  belted  and  dotted  for  a 
mile  with  groves,  and  clumps,  and  single  trees  of  natural  growth. 
The  house  is  a  substantial  old  mansion  of  brick  stuccoed,  with 
tiled  roof  and  encircling  verandahs.  It  stands  in  the  midst  of  a 
lawn  fronting  the  small  river,  which  here  empties  with  a  ser- 
pentine sweep  into  the  sea.  It  commands  the  entire  view  of 
the  valley  and  encircling  mountains,  of  the  bay,  its  promon- 
tories and  islets,  and  the  distant  sea.  These  lands  have  been  a 
seigniory  from  the  earliest  settlement  of  the  country  ;  and 
the  house  was  built  a  hundred  years  ago,  when  the  proprietor 
was  in  office  under  government.     It  is  most  substantially  con- 


SEN  OR   DE    L .  385 

structed ;  and  the  window  frames,  door-posts  and  doors,  and  the 
columns  of  the  verandahs,  though  never  painted,  are  yet  in  perfect 
preservation ;  the  close-grained  wood  of  which  they  are  formed, 
on  being  slightly  scraped,  exhibits  the  soundness  and  brightness 
of  mahogany.  In  all  things  more  perishable  the  establishment 
is  in  a  most  neglected  and  dilapidated  state.  The  furniture  has 
been  removed,  excepting  that  of  a  lofty  and  spacious  dining-room, 
where  a  long  and  lieavy  old  table — a  fixture,  with  benches  along 
each  side,  of  corresponding  fashion,  still  remains :  all  else  is  the 
perfect  picture  of  ruined  fortunes  and  deserted  halls. 

A  servant  had  preceded  us  on  foot  with  a  basket  of  refresh- 
ments. To  the  contents  of  this  was  added  an  abundance  of  fine 
oysters  from  the  mouth  of  the  river,  into  which  a  heavy  surf  and 
daily  tides  pour  floods  of  salt-water  over  the  oyster-beds.  When 
called  to  this  repast,  I  was  quite  surprised  to  see,  lying  open  on 
one  end  of  the  table,  a  large  mahogany  case  with  lining  of  crimson 
velvet,  filled  with  a  full  dinner-set  of  heavy  old  plate  of  rich 
and  massive  patterns — including  knives,  forks,  and  spoons,  of  all 
sizes.     In  explanation,  the  c^tain  told  us  it  was  the  property  of 

Senor  De  L ,  left  here  on  his  removal  from  the  house ;  and 

now  brought  forward  in  the  hope  of  having  it  bought  by  him, 
adding,  "but  I  was  born  with  an  iron  spoon  in  my  mouth,  and  am 
used  to  one  still ;  and  I  have  made  up  my  mind,  unless  I  can  get 
the  set  for — . — ,"  naming  a  sum  not  one  third  of  its  value,  even  as 
old  silver,  "  I  will  never  take  it."  Conscious,  probably,  from  the 
knowledge  he  had  of  the  necessities  of  the  poor  senor,  that  they 
were  sure  to  be  eventually  his  at  his  own  price. 

But  why,  you  will  ask,  these  details  in  a  matter  of  no  moment  ? 
I  answer,  because  I  know  not  when  my  feelings  have  been  more 
interested,  or  my  sympathy  more  excited  than  by  an  incident  of 
the  day,  directly  associated  with  them.  Every  thing  without  was 
so  wet  after  the  heavy  rain,  that  we  were  confined  on  our  arrival 
very  much  to  the  house  and  verandahs.     Knowing  that  the  family 

of  Be  L had  removed,  and  that  a  few  slaves  only  of  Captain 

Cathcart  were  in  cliarge  of  the  place,  I  was  surprised  to  see  a 
17 


386  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

fine-looking,  and  strikingly  handsome  young  man  approach  from 
a  thicket  near  by.  His  only  dress  was  a  white  cotton  shirt,  open 
at  the  throat,  and  a  pair  of  pantaloons  of  blue  nankeen,  old  and 
faded,  but  both  perfectly  clean  and  neat.  Though  bareheaded 
and  barefooted,  he  moved  with  the  self-possessed  air  and  manner 
of  a  gentleman.  Before  I  could  ask,  I  was  told  he  was  a  son  of 
the  late  proprietor ;  brother  of  the  young  lady  I  had  met  at  the 
consul's  in  the  morning,  and  between  whom  there  is  a  very 
strong  attachment,  as  well  as  a  very  striking  resemblance.  The 
father,  like  too  many  others  in  this  country,  was  never  married ; 
but  as  is  extensively  the  custom  here,  he  has  several  sets  of 
children  by  different  women — the  secret  of  his  wasted  fortune. 
After  an  introduction  to  the  young  man,  struck  with  his  Adonis- 
like beauty  both  in  figure  and  face — so  like  his  sister  as  to 
lead  to  the  supposition  that  they  were  twins,  I  felt  some  curiosity 
to  know  his  age,  and  after  a  little  conversation  asked  him  in 
Portuguese  how  old  he  was  ?  Though  evidently  bright  and  intel- 
ligent by  nature,  his  reply  was,  "  I  do  not  know — my  father  can 
tell !  "  The  captain  immediately  said  to  me  in  English,  "  There 
you  have  a  sample  of  the  utter  ignorance  in  which  these  people 
are  brought  up  ;  they  know  nothing,  and  are  taught  nothing 
worth  knowing.  This  is  a  very  nice  young  man  as  you  see ;  but 
his  father  has  given  him  no  education.  Poor  boy  !  I  felt  very 
sorry  for  him  the  day  I  closed  the  purchase  of  this  place  and 
*  clinched '  the  bargain.  He  knew  I  had  been  some  time  in 
negotiation  for  it ;  was  present  at  the  moment,  and  seemed  very 
anxious  about  the  result ;  and  when  he  saw  that  the  whole  was 
sold  without  any  reservation,  and  the  case  settled,  the  tears 
started  to  his  eyes,  and  he  said — '  So,  father,  you  have  sold  all 
your  property,  and  I  am  left  to  be  like  a  negro !  You  always 
told  me  I  should  have  a  part  of  this  land.  Had  you  done  any 
thing  for  me,  had  you  given  me  any  education,  or  taught  me  to 
do  any  thing,  the  case  would  have  been  different,  and  I  would  not 
have  cared.  But  you  have  done  nothing  for  me,  and  have  not 
taught  me  to  do  any  thing  for  myself ;  and  now  have  sold  all  your 


ANTONIO    DE   L ,  387 

land,  and  left  me  to  work  like  a  negro  ! '  The  father  could  only 
reply  with  tears,  '  I  know  it,  my  son,  but  I  cannot  help  it :  I  am  in 
debt  eleven  thousand  milreis,  and  have  nothing  to  meet  it  but  the 
two  thousand  five  hundred  which  Captain  Cathcart  pays  me  for 
this  property.'  "  I  thus  became  acquainted  with  the  terms  of  the 
purchase — about  twelve  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  for  two  or  three 
miles  square  of  the  finest  land  in  the  region,  parts  of  which  at 
least  have  been  long  under  cultivation  !  Antonio,  the  name  of 
the  young  man,  had  himself,  previously  to  the  sale,  planted  a 
piece  of  the  land  with  cane  and  mandioca,  and  asked  the  consul 
afterwards  whether  he  might  still  work  upon  it,  and  gather  the 
crops.  He  says  his  reply  was,  "  Yes,  my  son,  and  call  upon  my 
negroes  here  to  help  you,  and  bid  them  work  for  you  as  if  they 
were  your  own."  He  is  now  there  with  a  single  remaining  slave 
of  his  father,  for  this  purpose.  Captain  Cathcart  invited  him  to 
join  us  at  luncheon.  He  seems  interested  in  him,  and  says  that 
as  soon  as  he  removes  from  Santa  Cruz  himself,  which  he  intends 
to  do  almost  immediately,  he  will  take  the  lad  to  live  with  him, 
and  will  be  his  friend.  I  trust  he  will  be  true  to  his  word,  and 
faithful  to  the  promise  in  the  case  which  I  exacted  from  him. 
He  is  evidently  greatly  elated  by  the  purchase,  as  well  he  may 
be,  if  he  can  reconcile  his  conscience  to  the  price  which  the 
necessities  of  the  seller  forced  him  to  accept  for  it.  While 
looking  over  and  pointing  to  a  very  small  section  of  it,  he  said  to 

me,  "  Mr.  S ,  if,  when,  as  "a  boat-steerer  on  board  a  whale-ship 

I  first  met  you  at  the  Sandwich  Islands,  I  had  thought  I  should 
ever  have  been  the  owner  of  such  a  hillside  as  that,  I  would  have 
felt  amazing  proud  !  "  the  continuation  of  the  sentiment  being  of 
course — "judge  then  how  I  feel  now,  as  the  lord  of  this  wide- 
spread manor,  and  the  monarch  of  all  I  survey !  "  Wherever 
he  turns  his  eyes,  he  sees  and  speaks  of  its  varied  capabilities  for 
sugar,  mandioca,  rice,  corn,  cotton,  coffee,  cattle,  hogs,  timber — 
and  if  spared  in  life  and  health  a  few  years,  it  is  probable  his 
present  visions  of  the  wealth  to  be  derived  from  it,  will  be  fully 
realized.     While  he  was  speaking  thus,  I  again  begged  him  to 


388  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

l)efriend  Antonio,  whose  sad  and  dejected  looks  during  our  whole 
stay  were  in  such  strong  contrast  with  the  self-satisfied  air  and 
high  spirits  of  his  dispossessor.  The  deep  pensiveness  spread 
over  the  manly  and  handsome  face  of  the  young  man  as  we  bade 
him  adieu,  and  his  attitude — till  we  lost  sight  of  him  in  the 
distance — leaning  his  head  and  shoulders  against  a  pillar  of  the 
verandah  with  folded  arms,  as  if  lost  in  sad  abstraction,  still  haunt 


Buenos  Atbes. 

June  Q^th. — For  a  third  time  I  date  from  Buenos  Ayres. 
The  continued  prevalence  of  the  yellow  fever  at  Rio  de  Janiero 
forbade  a  visit  of  the  Congress  there,  on  leaving  St.  Catherine ; 
and  the  alternate  was  a  return  to  Montevideo.  On  arriving  at 
that  place,  general  liberty  on  shore  was  accorded  to  the  crew ; 
and  a  bearer  of  despatches  to  the  American  minister  here  being 
required,  I  gladly  availed  myself  of  the  Commodore's  kindness 
in  appointing  me  to  the  duty. 

When  I  left  Buenos  Ayres  in  February,  the  town  and  pro- 
vince were  under  the  rule  of  the  Provisional  Governor,  appointed 
by  Urquiza.  As  speedily  afterwards  as  possible,  a  constitutional 
election  was  held  for  that  office,  and  the  same  person  was  chosen 
by  the  people.  Since  then,  a  Congress  of  the  Governors  of  the 
Provinces  has  been  held  at  San  Nicolas  de  Aroya,  a  city  two 
hundred  miles  from  Buenos  Ayres  up  the  Parana.  This  was  pre- 
paratory to  a  general  convention  of  delegates,  for  the  formation 
and  adoption  of  a  federal  constitution  for  the  United  Provinces, 
after  the  model  of  that  of  the  United  States ;  Urquiza  being 
appointed  for  the  interval  Provisional  Director  of  the  Argentine 
■Confederation.  The  result  of  the  deliberations  of  the  Governors 
has  just  been  proclaimed,  and  the  articles  of  agreement  have  be'en 
published.  These,  though  seemingly  wise  and  just,  are  unsatisfac- 
tory to  the  Portenos  or  Buenos  Ayrians.  Claiming,  from  their 
larger  population,  greater  wealth,  and  higher  civilization,  a  pre- 
ponderating vote  an4  influence  among  the  States,  they  are  unwil- 


COUP  d'  etat  by  uequiza.  389 

ling  to  confirm  the  act  of  the  Governors,  which  will  limit  them 
in  the  proposed  general  Congress,  to  the  same  number  of  repre- 
sentatives or  delegates,  with  each  of  the  other  Provinces.  The 
House  of  Representatives  of  Buenos  Ayres,  or  Sala,  as  the  body 
is  here  styled,  immediately  denounced  the  proceeding  by  strong 
resolutions ;  and  great  public  excitement  took  place.  On  learn- 
ing this,  Urquiza,  who  has  returned  from  St.  Nicolas,  withdrew 
his  troops  from  their  quarters  in  the  city,  planted  a  battery  of 
guns  on  the  parade  ground  near  the  cavalry  barracks,  which  com- 
mands the  town,  and  despatched  a  messenger  to  the  President  of 
the  Chambers,  with  orders  for  the  immediate  dissolution  of  that 
body  under  the  alternative  of  having  it  dispersed  by  his  guns. 
The  announcement  of  this  led  each  member  quietly  to  take  his 
hat  and  leave  the  hall,  notwithstanding  the  valorous  resolution 
of  the  previous  day,  in  which  the  determination  had  been  avowed 
of  sacrificing  their  lives  rather  than  their  liberty. 

Two  thousand  or  more  of  the  citizens  not  long  since  organized 
themselves  into  a  national  guard  ;  each  individual  having  equipped 
himself  at  his  own  outlay,  in  a  showy  and  expensive  uniform. 
During  the  agitation  of  the  Chamber,  under  the  action  of  the 
Congress  of  San  Nicolas,  these  sent  a  messenger  to  the  house  to 
assure  the  representatives  that  they  would  repair  to  their  sittings 
and  stand  by  them  to  the  death.  They  were,  however,  at  the 
time,  much  in  need  of  percussion  caps  for  their  muskets.  Ur- 
quiza  hearing  of  this,  and  that  diligent  search  was  being  made  in 
the  city  for  a  supply,  sent  his  own  orderly  to  their  barracks,  with 
a  couple  of  packages ;  and,  it  is  said,  called  himself  in  the  after- 
noon of  the  same  day  to  inquire  whether  they  had  been  received, 
and  to  say  he  would  be  happy  to  furnish  them  with  a  larger 
quantity  if  needed  !  Thus  showing  his  utter  contempt  for  tlie' 
bravado  of  the  *  shop-keepers,'  as  he  calls  them.  On  the  dissolu- 
tion of  the  Chamber  this  brave  guard  very  speedily  disbanded ; 
and  the  next  day  small  parties  of  the  soldiers  of  Urquiza,  in  com- 
mand of  subalterns,  went  from  house  to  house  throughout  the 
city,  and  took   possession,  without  resistance,  of  all  the  arms 


390  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

they  could  find.  Urquiza  proclaimed  himself  Provisional  Chief, 
hut  continued  in  office  under  him  the  Governor  who  had  been 
elected  by  the  people.  All  things  are  going  on  quietly  under 
this  coup  d'  etat. 

The  general  judgment  of  those  who  have  had  the  best  oppor- 
tunity of  knowing  the  people,  is,  that  they  are  incapable  of  enlight- 
ened and  stable  self-government.  Urquiza  is  regarded  by  these  as 
greatly  in  advance  of  other  chieftains  of  the  Plata,  in  enlarged 
and  patriotic  views  and  principles.  Full  confidence  is  placed  in 
his  integrity  of  purpose,  as  well  as  in  his  firmness  and  daring  of 
will. 

His  personal  bravery  at  all  events  cannot  be  doubted.  Dur- 
ing the  height  of  the  excitement  of  the  last  week,  while  execra- 
tions loud  and  long  were  poured  upon  him  by  designing  partisans 
and  their  followers,  he  rode  fearlessly  about  the  city  attended  by 
a  single  officer ;  and  is  resolved,  at  all  personal  hazard,  to  carry 
out  the  measures  and  policy  which  he  thinks  needful  for  the  best 
interests,  not  only  of  Buenos  Ayres,  as  a  city  and  province,  but 
of  all  the  Argentine  States.  He  believes  the  consolidation  of 
the  whole  under  a  constitutionally  appointed  chief  executive,  in- 
dispensable to  their  permanent  prosperity ;  and  this  it  is  his  pur- 
pose to  achieve. 

July  2Qth. — It  is  seldom  that  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lore  of  the  Wes- 
leyan  Mission  can  avail  himself  of  the  assistance  of  a  brother 
clergyman  ;  and  I  have  cheerfully  taken  upon  myself,  at  his  solici- 
tation, on  each  Sabbath  of  my  several  visits  here,  two  of  the  three 
services  held  in  the  chapel  on  that  day  and  evening.  The  ordinary 
number  of  worshippers  amounts  to  about  four  hundred,  of  whom 
fifty  are  church  members.  The  established  religion  of  the  State 
being  that  of  the  Roman  Church,  and  the  civil  regulations  of  the 
country  not  permitting  Protestant  preaching  to  the  natives  in  their 
own  language,  the  congregation  and  church  consist  exclusively  of 
foreign  residents — American,  English,  Scotch  and  Irish :  of 
these,  the  greatest  number  are  English.  An  interesting  and  flour- 
ishing Sunday  school  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  scholars,  is  attached 


REV.    MR.    AND   MRS.    LORE.  391 

to  the  church,  and  in  addition  to  the  public  services  of  the  Sab- 
bath, a  weekly  lecture  and  prayer-meeting  are  held  in  the  chapel. 
The  Sabbath  after  my  arrival  was  that  of  the  Communion.  On 
the  Thursday  evening  previous,  Mr.  Lore  preached  a  preparatory 
sermon,  and  on  the  Sunday  six  new  members  were  received  into 
the  church.  They  were  all  young  persons,  and  of  both  sexes. 
A  more  than  ordinary  proportion  of  the  church  members  are  in 
their  youth.  It  is  a  cheering  sight  to  perceive  among  them  so 
many  young  men,  thus  openly  and  decidedly  choosing  a  life  of 
piety  in  the  midst  of  a  city  of  general  indulgence  in  worldliness 
and  pleasure,  and  almost  universal  moral  dereliction.  In  the 
full  toleration  of  Protestant  worship  thus  allowed,  and  in  the 
open  example  seen  and  acknowledged  by  all — even  of  a  few  con- 
sistent and  truly  spiritual  Christians,  there  is  hope  for  this  land : 
there  is  light  shed  abroad  which  cannot  be  hid,  and  seed  sown  which 
has  already  sprung  up  and  borne  fruit.  Many  things  seem  to  indi- 
cate that,  in  the  providence  of  God,  the  ignorant,  superstitious  and 
benighted  population,  is  destined  in  the  progress  of  time  to  give 
place  by  immigration  from  foreign  lands,  to  those  better  fitted  in 
mind  and  education,  in  energy  and  enterprise,  and  in  enlightened 
principles,  political,  moral  -and  religious,  to  mould  the  destinies 
of  the  nation  and  build  up  a  free  and  prosperous  empire.  One 
cannot  fail  in  passing  along  the  streets,  to  be  forcibly  struck  with 
the  prevalence  of  the  English  language.  You  can  scarcely 
move  a  square  in  any  direction  without  overhearing  it;  while 
French,  Grerman,  Portuguese  and  Italian — the  patois  of  the 
Basques  and  the  Gaelic  dialect  of  the  Scotch  and  Irish,  are 
liberally  intermingled. 

Mr.  Lore  is  deservedly  popular  in  his  position,  both  as  a  man 
and  as  a  minister.  He  is  an  able  and  interesting  preacher,  and  a 
faithful  and  afi"ectionate  pastor  :  ready  to  every  good  work— the 
comforter  of  the  sick  and  afflicted,  and  the  friend  and  benefactor 
of  the  poor  and  destitute.  Mrs.  Lore  too,  is  admirably  fitted  for 
her  station,  and,  full  of  gentleness  and  amiability,  is  universally 
beloved.     The  history  of  Protestant  worship  in  Buenos  Ayrcs 


392  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

may  be  briefly  given.  Its  origin  dates  as  far  back  as  the  year 
1820.  On  Sunday,  the  18th  of  November  in  that  year,  Protes- 
tant religious  worship  was  first  held  here  in  a  private  house. 
The  assembly  numbered  nine  persons,  the  worship  being  led  by 
Mr.  Thompson,  a  Scotch  Presbyterian,  who  had  arrived  in  the 
city  under  the  auspices  of  the  "  British  and  Foreign  School  Soci- 
ety," with  the  purpose  of  establishing  schools  on  the  Lancastrian 
system ;  and  had  so  far  succeeded  in  his  object  as  to  be  then  em- 
ployed by  the  government  as  superintendent  of  a  school  of  this 
description.     This  lay  worship  was  continued  till  the  year  1822. 

In  1823  the  Rev.  Dr.  Brigham,  now  long  the  secretary  of  the 
American  Bible  Society,  and  the  Bev.  Mr.  Parvin,  an  associate, 
arrived  as  agents  of  the  Bible  and  Missionary  Societies,  and  by 
them  preaching  was  established  in  a  private  house.  Dr.  Brig- 
ham,  after  a  time,  carried  his  agency  to  Chili  and  Peru,  and  re- 
turned to  the  United  States;  while  Mr.  Parvin  continued  resi- 
dent here,  as  a  preacher  and  teacher,  till  the  year  1827.  In  this 
year  he  was  joined  by  the  Bev.  Mr.  Torrey,  first  as  an  assistant, 
and  soon  as  successor,  both  in  teaching  and  preaching.  Mr.  Tor- 
rey continued  in  Buenos  Ayres  till  the  year  1836;  when  relin- 
quishing his  position  and  returning  to  the  United  States,  wor- 
ship according  to  the  Presbyterian  form  ceased,  without  any 
attempt  having  been  made  to  organize  a  church. 

The  field  was  thus  left  open  to  the  labors  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church ;  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pitts,  a  missionary  of  this 
denomination,  having  arrived  at  Buenos  Ayres  about  the  time  Mr. 
Torrey  left.  He  preached,  however,  but  a  short  time,  and  re- 
turning to  the  United  States,  was  succeeded  in  the  year  1837  by 
the  Bev.  Mr,  Dempster.  Public  worship  was  continued  by  him 
in  the  same  house  in  which  Mr.  Torrey  had  held  his  services ; 
and  his  preaching  was  soon  followed  with  such  success  as  to 
demand  an  enlarged  place  for  the  congregation.  In  the  ensuing 
year  a  lot  in  a  very  eligible  situation  was  purchased  for  the  erec 
tion  of  a  church  and  mission  house ;  the  funds  being  provided 
for  the  purpose,  partly  by  subscription   in  Buenos   Ayres,  and 


PROTESTANT    CHURCHES.  393 

partly  by  an  appropriation  from  the  Methodist  Missionary  Society 
at  home.  The  buildings  subsequently  erected  are  the  present 
chapel  and  parsonage,  on  the  principal  street  of  the  city,  imme- 
diately opposite  the  stately  church  of  the  Merced.  The  chapel,  a 
neat  and  simple  structure,  sixty  feet  in  length  by  forty  in  width, 
with  a  faqade  in  Grecian  architecture,  fronts  upon  the  street ; 
while  the  mission  house  or  parsonage,  approached  by  a  passage 
on  one  side  of  the  chapel,  occupies  the  rear  of  the  lot.  A  court, 
ornamented  with  shrubbery  and  trellised  grape-vines,  separates 
the  two,  giving  to  the  premises  a  retired  and  rural  aspect,  attrac- 
tive, and  appropriate  to  the  character  of  the  occupants.  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Dempster  was  succeeded  in  1843,  by  the  Kev.  Mr. 
Norris ;  and  this  gentleman  again  in  1848,  by  Mr.  Lore.  The 
church  and  congregation  are  now  not  only  self-sustaining,  as  to  the 
support  of  the  pastor  and  all  the  incidental  expenses  of  the  mis- 
sion, but  contribute  liberally,  according  to  their  means,  to  the  gen- 
eral societies  at  home  for  the  promotion  of  the  cause  of  Christ. 

Besides  the  Wesleyan  congregation  and  church,  there  are  now 
in  Buenos  Ayres  three  of  other  Protestant  denominations :  one 
British  Episcopalian,  one  Scotch  Presbyterian,  and  one  Reformed 
German.  All  these  have  much  larger  and  finer  buildings  for 
worship,  and  much  larger  and  more  wealthy  congregations.  The 
salary  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Falkner  of  the  British  Church,  amounts 
to  $4000.  The  Scotch  congregation,  under  the  pastoral  charge 
of  Rev.  Mr.  Smith,  is  of  the  Established  Church  of  Scot- 
land, and  also  partly  under  governmental  support.  The  German 
Church,  whose  pastor  is  the  Rev.  Mr.  Seigle,  has  just  completed 
a  new  place  of  worship ;  a  beautiful  specimen  of  Gothic  archi- 
tecture, and  an  ornament  to  the  city.  These  congregations  have 
each  a  large  and  flourishing  day  school  under  its  supervision  and 
patronage,  beside  Sunday  schools. 

I  have  renewed  my  intercourse  most  agreeably  with  several 

families  here — particularly  with  that  of  Mr.  H ,  who  ia  a 

fellow- Jerseyman.     Mrs.  H is  also  from  Jersey ;  a.d  I  have 

a  standing  invitation  to  breakfast  with  them  on  buckwheat  cakes, 
17* 


394  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

SO  favorite  an  article  of  diet  there.     The  L s  and  the  Ti- s 

of  Montevideo,  too,  are  now  here.  Among  the  acquaintances 
newly  made,  and  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  hospitality,  are  the 
J s ;  Mrs.  J being  the  daughter  of  an  old  friend,  Cap- 
tain M ■  of  the  Navy.     They  occupy  a  tasteful  and  pleasantly 

situated  quinta  in  the  eastern  suburbs  of  the  city,  where  they 
entertain  their  friends  with  elegance ;  adding  to  a  generous  hospi- 
tality, the  charm  of  fine  music,  in  which,  both  vocal  and  instru- 
mental, Mrs.  J excels. 

I  have  been  desirous  for  some  time,  of  making  an  excursion 
into  the  "  Camp,"  as  the  flat  country  of  the  Pampas  south  of  the 
city  is  called,  in  a  visit  to  the  estancia,  or  cattle  farm  of  an 
American  of  respectability,  but  have  not  yet  had  it  in  my  power 
to  accomplish  the  purpose.  My  opportunities  for  sight-seeing  have 
consequently  been  limited  to  the  city.  The  room  I  occupy  is  on  the 
second  floor  of  a  house  finely  situated  on  the  edge  of  the  bluff 
upon  which  the  town  lies.  Its  windows  on  one  side  overlook  the 
quadrangular  court  communicating  with  the  street.  In  this  there 
are  some  magnificent  specimens  of  cacti ;  among  which  are  a 
prickly  pear  twenty  feet  in  height,  with  a  trunk  like  a  tree, 
now  covered  with  primrose-colored  blossoms ;  and  an  octagonal 
plant  of  the  same  genus  nearly  as  tall,  filled  with  those  that  are  of 
brilliant  crimson.  There  is  in  it  also  a  magnificent  specimen  of 
the  "  Uca  Grloriosa."  The  view  from  the  other  side  commands  the 
whole  length  of  the  alameda  or  public  walk,  the  river,  with  the  inner 
and  the  outer  anchorage,  and  all  the  movements  of  the  roadstead 
and  landing.  When  the  tide  is  out,  the  sands  to  the  east,  for  a  mile 
or  more,  are  nearly  or  quite  bare.  At  all  times,  except  when  the 
water  is  at  flood,  the  landing  of  passengers  and  freight  is  by  cart. 
Familiarity  with  the  sight  does  not  take  from  its  interest.  Some- 
times both  horses  and  carts  are  seen  half  submerged  in  the  water — 
intermingled  with  boats,  some  under  sail  and  others  pulled  by 
oars, — the  drivers,  to  keep  themselves  from  being  wet,  standing 
on  the  shoulders  of  their  beasts,  in  the  manner  of  circus-riders. 
It  i.s  amusing  to  see  them  start  from  the  shore  on  the  approach 


RIVER   SCENES.  395 

of  a  boat  or  boats  witb  passengers.  They  rush  off  under  the 
shouts  and  lashings  of  the  drivers,  plunging  and  ploughing  through 
the  water,  over  the  rocks  and  into  holes  in  the  rough  bottom,  in 
utter  disregard  of  every  thing  except  a  first  chance  at  a  customer. 
The  horses  are  so  well  trained  to  the  business,  that  the  carts  are 
as  readily  turned  and  backed  up  to^  a  boat  on  reaching  it,  as  a 
fish  is  moved  in  the  water  by  its  fins.  The  whole  performance  is 
so  droll  and  amphibious,  that  I  never  cease  to  be  amused  in  wit- 
nessing it.  When  the  water  is  low,  freight  and  passengers  are  often 
taken  on  board  these  carts  from  small  vessels  at  their  anchorage. 
At  such  times  too,  horsemen  and  dogs,  and  various  other  animals, 
are  seen  scampering  over  the  sands  in  the  shoal  water,  as  if  the 
mirror-like  surface  were  the  ice  of  a  frozen  river. 

When  the  wind  is  fresh,  a  heavy  sea  rolls  over  the  sands. 
Then  the  vocation  of  the  carts  is  at  an  end,  and  they  seek 
the  security  of  the  shore.  The  boats  too,  securely  anchored 
outside  the  rocks,  are  left  to  toss  upon  the  water  by  themselves, 
and  for  the  time-being,  a  non-intercourse  occurs  between  the  ship- 
ping and  the  shore. 

The  construction  of  a  mole  to  extend  beyond  the  sands  is 
entirely  practicable,  and  would  be  of  immense  importance,  and  a 
great  saving  of  expense  in  the  trade  of  the  place.  So  essential  a 
work  should  have  been  accomplished  a  century  ago.  Had  the 
amount  lavished  by  Rosas  in  redeeming  the  marshes  of  Palermo, 
and  in  rearing  upon  them  his  country  palace,  been  thus  appro- 
priated, it  would  long  since  have  secured  a  convenient  and  safe  land- 
ing both  for  goods  and  passengers,  and  have  been  a  lasting  and 
honorable  monument  of  his  public  spirit  and  patriotism.  A  day 
or  two  since  a  detachment  of  the  troops  of  Urquiza  embarked 
from  this  landing  on  their  return  to  Entre-Rios.  It  is  the  winter 
season ;  the  weather  was  wet,  cold,  and  piercing,  and  the  whole 
number,  amounting  to  some  hundreds,  were  kept  for  hours,  shiver- 
ing in  the  exposure  incident  to  the  slow  means  of  getting  off  to 
the  transports  in  which  they  were  to  sail ;  first  in  squads  of  eight 
or  ten  in  a  cart,  and  then  in  equal  numbers  in  small  boats. 


396  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

The  lecheros  and  panderos — the  milkmen  and  bakers — ^form 
striking  features  in  the  scenes  of  the  street  in  the  early  morning. 
Both  grades  are  invariably  mounted  on  shabby,  rough-coated 
little  horses  or  mules.  They  seat  themselves  very  longitu- 
dinally on  the  shoulder-blades  of  the  beasts,  their  legs  being 
stretched  out  almost  at  full  length ;  while  the  supplies  they  carry 
for  distribution  are  balanced  on  either  side  from  neck  to  tail — the 
milk  in  long  tin  cans  of  different  sizes,  stowed  in  different  com- 
partments of  leather  fixtures,  something  in  the  form  of  old- 
fashioned  saddle-bags.  The  bread  is  distributed  from  immense 
panniers  of  ox-hide,  cured  with  the  hair  on,  made  oval,  in  band- 
box form,  burying  the  animal  beneath  their  ponderous  shapes,  and 
half  blocking  up  the  street  as  they  pass.  There  is  nothing 
especially  peculiar  in  the  dress  of  the  bakers,  they  being,  dwellers 
in  the  city,  and  generally  French,  German,  or  Spanish  by  birth 
and  in  costume  ;  but  the  milkmen  from  the  country,  at  distances 
from  five  to  fifteen  miles,  furnish  illustrations  of  the  grotesque  and 
comical  worthy  of  the  pencil  of  a  Cruikshank  or  Wilkie.  None 
but  an  artist  could  do  justice  to  their  slouched  hats  of  every  form, 
the  cotton  handkerchief  of  divers  figures  and  colors  in  which  their 
necks  and  faces  are  bundled  up,  their  ponchos  of  every  hue — 
their  cheripas  of  various  materials  from  scarlet  broadcloth  and 
gayly-figured  merinos,  to  horse-blankets,  and  fire-rugs ;  while  half- 
yard  wide  pantalets  of  white  cotton  tamboured  and  fringed  and 
worn  over  heavy  boots  or  leggings  of  calfskin,  make  up  the  sketch. 

On  entering  the  plaza  about  seven  o'clock  a  few  mornings  ago, 
I  saw  some  hundreds  or  more  of  these  figures,  with  their  horses  and 
milk-cans,  grouped  before  the  police  office  at  the  Cabildo  or  town 
hall.  The  spectacle  was  one  of  the  most  singular  I  have  met, 
and  led  to  an  inquiry  as  to  the  cause  of  the  unusual  gathering. 
In  answer,  I  learned  that  the  extent  to  which  the  watering  of  the 
milk  had  been  carried  had  led  to  the  interference  of  the  police. 
On  that  morning,  every  milkman  as  he  entered  the  city  found 
himself  unexpectedly  under  arrest,  and  was  hurried  to  the  office 
of  the  chief,  to  have  the  product  of  his  cows  put  to  a  test.     All 


HON.    MR.    SCHENCK.  397 

were  now  busy  lugging  their  cans  into  the  town  hall  to  be  thus 
cleared  from  the  imputation  of  defrauding  their  customers,  or,  if 
found  guilty,  to  pay  the  fine  imposed  by  the  laws  of  the  munici- 
pality. I  did  not  wait  to  learn  the  result,  but  believe  few  escaped 
the  penalty. 

To  one  informed  of  the  extent  of  vexation  and  labor  required 
in  securing  the  milk,  it  is  scarcely  a  wonder  that  it  should  be  well 
watered  before  being  brought  to  market.  The  cows  of  the  native 
breed  are  impracticable  to  all  domestic  training  or  discipline. 
They  not  only  require  to  be  lassoed  every  time  they  are  milked, 
but  must  be  also  tied  head  and  foot,  and  during  the  operation  have 
their  calves  by  their  sides.  These  must  be  permitted  to  draw 
the  milk  alternately  with  the  use  of  the  hand  by  the  milkman, 
or  nothing  can  be  obtained  from  the  animal.  Much  time  is  thus 
taken  up  in  the  operation ;  and  the  result  is  only  about  a  quart  of 
milk  a  day  from  each  cow,  and  a  pound  of  butter  a  week.  The 
consequence  is  that  milk  commands  from  twelve  to  fifteen  cents 
a  quart ;  and  butter  from  sixty-two  to  seventy-five  cents  a  pound. 
The  supply  is  furnished  chiefly  by  the  German  and  Basque 
settlers.  The  natives  are  for  the  most  part  too  indolent  to  take 
BO  much  trouble  for  the  returns  made,  either  for  their  own  use  or 
for  sale. 

Bio  db  Jansiko. 

September  20th. — We  returned  to  this  port  on  the  13th  inst : 
bringing  passengers  with  us,  Mr.  Schenck,  Charge  d' Affaires  at 
the  Court  of  Brazil,  and  a  nephew,  his  private  secretary.  In 
addition  to  the  diplomatic  office  he  holds  here,  he  was  recently 
appointed  by  our  government  Envoy  Extraordinary  to  the  Re- 
publics of  the  Plata,  for  the  purpose  of  negotiating,  in  conjunction 
with  Mr.  Pendleton,  treaties  of  friendship  and  commerce.  The 
unsettled  state  of  affairs  in  the  Argentine  Provinces,  however, 
interfered  with  the  completion  of  this  mission,  and  he  has  re- 
turned for  a  time  to  Rio  de  Janeiro. 

Mr.  Pendleton  accompanied  him  as  far  as  Montevideo ;  and 
during  a  brief  sojourn  there,  the  two  diplomatists,  with  the  aid  of 


398  BRAZIL    AND    LA    PLATA. 

Mr.  Glover  as  interpreter  and  secretary,  formed  a  treaty  with 
the  Republic  of  Uruguay,  by  which  the  United  States  are  placed 
here  upon  a  footing  with  the  most  favored  nations.  The  prompti- 
tude, industry,  and  despatch  of  the  ambassadors  in  the  negotia- 
tion quite  astonished  the  ceremonious,  indolent,  and  procrastinat- 
ing ministers  of  Spanish-American  blood.  After  it  was  once 
initiated,  they  allowed  themselves  scarcely  the  relaxation  of  an 
hour  till  the  parchments  were  engrossed ;  and  the  ink  in  their 
signatures  was  not  well  dry  before  the  Chief  Envoy  was  on  his 
way  with  us  to  this  place. 

I  will  let  an  incident  occurring  at  Buenos  Ayres  speak  his 
general  character.  While  last  there,  I  occupied  furnished  rooms 
in  the  establishment  of  a  shrewd,  sharp-eyed,  talkative  English- 
woman. The  window  of  her  private  apartment  commanded  the 
well-guarded  portal,  opening  from  the  street  into  the  pateo  or 
quadrangle  of  the  house ;  and  from  it  she  kept  a  watchful  lookout 
on  the  movements  of  her  lodgers  and  their  visitors.  A  short 
time  after  I  had  taken  up  my  quarters  there,  Mr.  Schenck  called 
upon  me.  My  landlady  soon  became  informed,  by  some  means, 
of  his  name  and  position ;  and  with  the  notions  of  rank  common 
among  those  in  humble  life  in  her  own  country,  was  quite  excited 
by  the  distinction  conferred  upon  her  lodger,  and  seizing  the  first 
chance  afterwards  of  waylaying  me,  gave  vent  to  her  feelings  on 
the  subject  by  the  exclamation — "  And  indeed,  sir  !  so  you  have 
had  the  honor  of  a  visit  from  your  minister,  the  new  ambassador  ! 
La  me  !  I  said  to  myself  as  I  saw-  him  come  in,  '  Why  who  can 
that  very  genteel,  delicate-looking,  strange  gentleman  be  ?  '  But 
I  knew  him  at  once  for  a  diplomat.  I  can  always  tell  them.  I 
have  had  a  great  deal  to  do  with  them — Sir  Charles  Hotham,  Sir 
William  Ousely — and  I  know  them  at  once,  they  are  so  clever — 
so  very,  very  clever  !  Oh !  rely  upon  it,  sir !  your  ambassador 
is  a  very  clever  man  :  I  could  see  it  in  his  eye,  sir  !  and  then  it 
was  so  kind  in  him  to  call.  I  knew  him  for  a  diplomat — so  very 
genteel,  and  so  clever,"  adding,  "  Clever,  sir,  clever — very,  very 
clever  1 "  as  she  bowed  herself  backwards  into  her  little  room,  as 


REV.    MR.    AND    MRS.    FLETCHER.  399 

if  retreating  after  a  presentation  at  court.  And  clever,  indeed 
Mr.  Schenck  is,  both  in  the  English  and  American  use  of  the 
term.  In  regard  to  the  last,  he  has  given  very  decided  proof  in 
his  great  kindness  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Fletcher,  seamen's  chaplain 
here,  who  with  Mrs.  FletcKer  arrived  from  the  United  States 
shortly  after  the  Congress  left,  eight  months  ago.  They  early 
became  settled  in  a  hired  cottage,  but  when  Mr.  Schenck  received 
the  diplomatic,  appointment  to  the  Plata,  he  constrained  them  to 
leave  it,  and  with  their  family  to  take  possession  during  his 
absence,  of  the  embassy  and  all  its  appointments,  in  furniture, 
servants,  carriages  and  horses;  and  as  it  will  be  necessary  for  him 
to  return  to  Buenos  Ayres  at  the  end  of  two  or  three  months,  wrote 
to  them  before  leaving  the  river,  that  he  came  now  only  to  be  their 
guest  till  he  should  be  recalled  there  by  duty  for  an  indefinite 
time.     They  are  thus  permanently  at  home  with  him. 

Mr.  Fletcher  on  his  arrival,  entered  at  once  zealously  upon  the 
discharge  of  the  duties  of  his  position ;  and,  while  the  yellow  fever 
has  again  raged  for  months  as  an  epedemic  among  the  shipping  and 
on  shore,  has  been  indefatigable  in  preaching  the  Gospel  to  the 
well,  in  nursing  and  comforting  the  sick  and  dying,  and  in  consol- 
ing the  afflicted,  of  whom  there  have  been  many  among  American 
and  English  shipmasters,  who  have  had  members  of  their  families 
in  greater  or  less  numbers  on  board  their  ships  with  them,  some 
of  whom  have  died  under  very  affecting  circumstances. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Graham,  rector  of  the  English  Episcopal  Church, 
has  service  in  a  neat  chapel -in  the  city  on  the  morning  of  the 
Sabbath ;  Mr.  Fletcher  at  the  same  time  preaches  to  the  seamen 
in  port,  on  board  some  ship  in  the  harbor,  and  in  the  afternoon 
holds  worship  in  the  drawing-room  of  the  American  Consulate. 
I  have  assisted  him  in  this  service  since  our  arrival,  and  have  felt 
it  a  privilege  and  a  blessing  to  join  the  "  two  or  three,"  who 
assemble  there  for  praise  and  prayer,  and  to  hear  the  preached 
word.     The  music  is  led  by  Mrs.  Fletcher  at  the  piano  ;  and  she  is 

assisted  vocally  by  Mrs.  K .     This  excellent  person  is  a  good 

representative  abroad  of  her  fcUow-countrywomeu  of  New  Eng- 


400  BRAZIL    AND    LA    PLATA. 

land  at  home — sensible,  intelligent,  practical :  ever  decided  in 
her  expression  of  moral  principle,  and  ever  constant  in  the  ex- 
hibition of  her  religious  character.  She  has  been  greatly  afflicted 
by  the  bereavements  which  have  befallen  her  here  in  a  strange 
land ;  but  resigned  in  spirit,  seems  by  them  to  be  the  better  fitted 
for  the  duties  of  a  Christian  in  this  life,  as  well  as  for  the  inherit- 
ance which  is  to  be  the  reward  of  such  in  the  life  to  come.     Mrs. 

F is  not  less  strikingly  the  type  of  her  class  in  Europe.    She  is 

a  daughter  of  the  distinguished  and  apostolic  minister  of  Greneva, 
Caesar  Malan ;  and  highly  educated  and  accomplished,  seems  fitted 
alike 

"  to  shine  in  courts, 
Or  grace  the  humbler  walks  of  life." 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

C0N8TANTIA. 

November  ^'Id. — A  few  days  at  "  Boa  Esperenza  "  in  the 
mountains  of  Tejuca,  ten  miles  from  Rio,  proved  so  interesting 

to  my  friend  Dr.  C and  myself,  that  we  determined  to  make 

a  more  distant  excursion  of  the  kind  to  this  place,  in  the  midst 
of  the  Organ  Mountains,  fifty  miles  from  the  city.  The  route 
to  it  passes  near  San  Aliexo,  and  on  our  way  we  made  an  agree- 
able visit  of  three  days  to  our  friends  there. 

Constantia  is  the  estate  of  Mr.  Heath,  an  Englishman,  which 
has  become  a  favorite  resort  of  the  citizens  of  the  metropolis  in 
the  summer  season  as  a  watering-place,  for  the  enjoyment  of  pure 
and  invigorating  air,  and  the  luxury  of  fresh  and  wholesome  diet 
in  the  country.  By  previous  arrangement,  mules  and  a  guide 
were   sent  for  us  two  days  ago  to  San  Aliexo  by  the  proprietor ; 

and  taking  leave   of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  M ,  we  were  off  for  our 

destination  after  an  early  breakfast  this  morning.  The  day 
was  splendid  in  its  coloring,  and  full  of  freshness.  Our  guide,  a 
bright,  intelligent  little  negro  of  twelve,  was  all  activity  and 
good-nature  ;  and  mounted  on  a  mule  scarcely  larger  than  himself, 
with  a  carpet-bag  slung  on  each  side  of  him  in  the  manner  of  a 
pair  of  saddle-bags,  went  on  his  way  whistling  and  singing  as  if 
he  knew  neither  sorrow  nor  care.  Instead  of  leading  us,  however, 
he  rode  behind  in  the  fashion  of  a  groom ;   but  not  so  much  for 


402  BRAZIL    AND    LA    PLATA. 

appearance,  as  we  soon  discovered,  as  to  give  a  poke  with  the 
pointed  end  of  his  whip  to  one  or  the  other  of  the  animals  ridden 
by  me  and  my  friend,  when  they  became  disposed  to  lag  in  their 
gait,  or  to  start  them  forward  by  a  sharp  cut  across  their  rumps 
with  its  lash. 

The  first  stage  of  eight  miles  northward  was  to  Freischal,  an 
inland  venda,  or  store,  where  the  turnpike  begins  the  ascent  of 
the  "  Sierra."  For  that  distance,  the  plain  is  very  similar  in 
its  general  features  to  the  country  between  Piedade  and  San 
Aliexo,  before  described.  The  mountain  scenery  to  the  west, 
close  upon  the  left,  was,  however,  very  fine ;  and  was  marked  now, 
after  heavy  rains,  by  numerous  watercourses  and  cascades,  which 
foamed  down  from  the  heights  above,  in  single  shoots  of  hundreds 
of  feet.  Most  travellers  from  Rio  make  Freischal  a  stopping- 
place  for  the  first  night ;  but  the  "  Barriera,"  or  toll  gate,  midway 
up  the  ascent,  four  miles  further,  is  a  much  more  picturesque  and 
attractive  spot ;  and  we  pushed  on  to  this  for  luncheon,  without 
alighting  at  the  other.  The  road  after  passing  Freischal  winds 
at  first  in  gradual  ascent  along  the  broad  bases  of  the  mountains. 
It  is  wide,  smooth,  and  well  graded ;  and  paved  at  intervals  for 
long  distances  with  large  cubes  of  granite,  like  a  Roman  highway. 
It  was  enlivened  by  troupe  after  troupe  of  mules  passing  in  both 
directions,  with  heavy  loads  of  produce  from  the  interior,  and  of 
merchandise  from  the  capital :  each  company  of  seven  animals 
being  under  charge  of  a  troupiero,  or  muleteer,  though  frequently 
moving  by  hundreds  together,  and  sometimes  crowding  the  road 
thickly  for  a  half  mile  in  succession.  As  thus  seen  en  masse  in 
the  distance,  either  in  meeting  or  overtaking  them,  they  present 
an  odd  spectacle.  The  mules  with  heads  bending  to  the  g'round 
beneath  their  burdens,  are  themselves  for  the  most  part  completely 
hidden  by  the  bulky  loads  they  carry.  The  tips  of  their  long  ears, 
bobbing  up  and  down  with  the  motion  of  their  step ;  the  cross 
ends  of  the  clumsy  wooden  saddle  or  frame,  to  which  the  panniers 
or  other  burdens  on  either  side  are  affixed — something  like  the 
buck  of  a  woodsawyer — sticking  out  above  their  shoulders ;  and 


BARRIERA,    ORGAN    MOUNTAINS.  403 

the  dried  ox-hides  surmounting  the  whole,  to  protect  the  articles 
transported  from  the  weather,  flapping  like  wings  up  and  down 
in  the  irregular  tread  of  the  beasts,  are  alone  seen  :  and  to  one 
unacquainted  with  the  sight,  would  present  objects  in  natural 
history  difficult  to  be  guessed  at.  There  is  a  leading  mule  to 
each  troupe,  whose  bridle  and  head-stall  are  gayly  ornamented  with 
tufts  of  scarlet  and  blue  worsted,  and  often  with  showy  plumes 
of  the  same  material,  and  also  strung  with  bells  of  varied  sizes 
and  tones — the  whole  a  matter  of  rivalry  in  the  taste  and  vanity 
of  the  respective  troupieros.  The  leaders  are  so  well  trained  as 
to  allow  no  one  of  their  own  troupe,  under  any  circumstances,  to 
pass  ahead  of  them  on  the  road ;  so  tliat  the  muleteers  have  to 
look  out  only-  for  such  as  lag  behind  or  stray  by  the  wayside. 
These  men  themselves  are  black,  and  white,  and  of  every  shade 
of  complexion ;  are  of  all  ages,  and  in  an  endless  variety  of  cos- 
tume, as  to  the  material  and  condition  of  old  shirts  and  old  jackets, 
old  browsers  and  old  drawers,  old  hats  and  various  head-gear — 
from  the  well  clothed,  to  those  almost  in  a  state  puris  natu- 
ralibus. 

The  Barriera  is  as  wild  and  romantic  a  spot  as  can  be  well 
imagined.  I  recollect  nothing  on  a  public  road  surpassing  it, 
in  these  respects,  unless  it  be  the  site  of  Alhama,  in  the  sierra  of 
the  Alpuxares.  It  is  a  narrow  ravine  high  upon  the  mountain's 
side,  above  which  the  fantastic  pinnacles  called  the  "  Pipes  of  the 
Organ,"  bristle  thousands  of  feet.  From  these  a  mountain  tor- 
rent, foaming  and  roaring  over  and  around  gigantic  boulders  of 
granite,  comes  rushing  down,  and  divided  into  two  streams  by  an 
islet  over  which  the  road  crosses,  plunges  headlong  into  a  gulf 
below.  In  the  midst  of  this  islet,  to  which  a  bridge  from  either 
side  is  thrown,  a  neat  little  chapel,  surmounted  by  a  cross,  rises 
upon  the  sight  with  pleasing  eifect,  in  contrast  with  the  savage 
wildness  of  every  thing  around.     At  a  neat  venda  just  beyond,  to 

which  we  had  been  directed  by  Mr.  M ,  we  were  served  with 

a  luncheon  of  boiled  eggs  and  bread  and  butter.  Our  host  was  a 
civil  young  Portuguese,  and  the  neatly  whitewashed  walls  of  the 


404  BRAZIL    AND   LA   PLATA. 

room  in  which  we  ate,  were  ornamented  with  a  set  of  colored 
engravings,  illustrative  of  the  fate  of  Inez  de  Castro  in  the  hands 
of  Peter  the  Cruel.  For  the  first  time  in  my  rambles  in  Brazil, 
I  here  saw  a  book  in  the  hands  of  any  one — it  was  a  copy  of  the 
*'  Complete  Letter  Writer  "  in  Portuguese,  which  the  keeper  of 
the  shop  was  reading  behind  the  counter  when  we  went  in. 

We  were  now  more  than  a  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  plain.  For  some  time  before  reaching  this  point,  a  beautifully 
shaped  and  luxuriantly-clothed  mountain  in  front  of  us,  had 
particularly  attracted  our  attention.  It  here  stood  directly 
beside  us  on  the  right.  Nothing  of  the  kind  can  surpass  the 
beauty  of  its  foliage  in  varied  forms  and  tints  of  green — inter- 
spersed with  masses  of  white  and  of  yellow,  of  purple  and  of 
scarlet.  The  white  in  many  instances  is  not  a  blossom,  but  the 
leaves  of  the  sloth  tree — cecropia  peltata.  The  under  sides  of 
these  are  covered  with  a  white  down ;  the  leaves  curl  upward 
under  the  hot  rays  of  the  sun,  and  give  to  the  whole  tree-top,  amid 
masses  of  verdure,  a  whiteness  almost  as  pure,  and  more  silvery, 
than  that  of  the  snowball.  The  yellow  blossoms  are  chiefly 
of  the  acacia;  the  purplo  a:.d  the  scarlet  those  of  climbers — 
bignonias  and  fuschias.  An  American  forest  in  October  can 
scarcely  compare  in  gorgeousness  with  these  gay  woods,  in  the 
seasons  of  their  bloom. 

From  the  Barriera  the  ascent  becomes  increasingly  steep,  and 
the  road  is  formed  by  zigzag  cuts  in  the  sides  of  the  mountains, 
and,  at  places,  around  their  projecting  shoulders.  The  angles  at 
the  turns  are  very  sharp,  and  the  road  rises  in  terrace  above 
terrace — at  some  points  edging  upon  precipitous  ravines  and  deep 
chasms,  hundreds  of  feet  in  perpendicular  descent.  In  these 
sections,  the  long  lines  of  mules,  as  seen  both  above  and  below, 
struggling  up  or  moving  cautiously  down,  are  particularly  striking. 
In  several  places  the  way  was  wet  and  miry,  and  many  a  poor 
beast  was  down  in  the  mud  with  his  burden  upon  him,  but  lying 
quietly  and  patiently,  as  if  accustomed  to  such  accidents,  waiting 
for  the  coming  up  of  his  troupiero  to  relieve  him  of  his  load,  and 


"  BOA   VISTA."  405 

thus  enable  him  to  rise.  As  we  mounted  higher  and  higher,  the 
landscape  became  more  and  more  extensive.  By  degrees  the 
northern  end  of  the  Bay  of  Rio  opened  to  view,  followed  rapidly 
by  the  islands  which  cluster  in  it;  the  mountain-ranges  of  its 
eastern  coast ;  the  Sugar  Loaf,  Raza  and  Round  Islands  in  the 
offing;  the  Corcovado,  Gavia  and  peak  of  Tejuca — embracing  a 
panorama  more  than  a  hundred  miles  in  circuit,  in  the  midst  of 
which  the  imperial  city,  though  forty  miles  distant,  was  distinctly 
seen  gleaming  in  the  afternoon's  sun.  Such  was  the  scene  on 
one  side  of  us,  while  on  the  other  the  pikes  of  the  Sierra  close 
at  hand,  rose  in  savage  nakedness  three  thousand  feet  above  our 
heads.  The  world  boasts  many  pictures  in  nature,  in  which  love- 
liness and  sublimity  are  combined,  but  I  doubt  whether  this 
"  Boa  Vista" — "  Fine  View,"  of  the  Organ  Mountain  does  not 
rival  any  single  combination  of  mountain,  valley,  and  water,  that 
man  ever  beheld.  I  can  remember  nothing  in  my  own  experience 
equal  in  interest  to  this  day's  ride ;  unless  it  may  be  the  travel 
through  the  mountains  of  Granada,  followed  by  the  first  view  of 
the  "  Vega,"  with  the  city,  the  walls  and  towers  of  the  Alhambra, 
and  the  snow-covered  heights  of  the  Nevada  above,  all  gloriously 
lighted  by  the  glowing  hues  of  the  setting  sun. 

Though  uncertain  of  the  length  of  time  it  would  require  to 
reach  our  destination  before  nightfall,  we  lingered  long  in  silent 
admiration  of  the  picture ;  and  at  last,  found  it  difficult  to  make 
up  our  minds  to  turn  the  point  of  a  projecting  rock  marking  the 
highest  elevation  of  the  road,  and  which  shuts  it  from  view.  From 
this  point  the  descent  on  the  north  commences.  It  is  gradual,  and 
unmarked  by  any  striking  features,  except  the  jagged  peaks  on 
the  left.  Tiiick  mist  and  clouds  soon  enveloped  these,  and  for  a 
time  the  way  became  comparatively  tame  and  uninteresting. 

H Hall,  the  mountain  home  of  Mr.  H ,  an  English 

merchant  of  Rio,  whom  we  had  been  invited  to  visit,  is  situated 
a  short  distance  from  the  sierra.  We  called  upon  the  family  for 
a  short  time ;  but,  anxious  to  reach  Constantia,  resisted  their  per- 
suasions to  remain  over  night,  or  at  least  to  dinner,  and  hastened 


406  BKAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

on  our  way.  .At  the  end  of  six  miles,  we  turned  from  the 
public  road  into  a  bridle-path  leading  through  thick  woods,  filled 
with  the  music  of  birds.  Many  of  the  trees  overhanging  us  were 
magnificent  in  size — monarchs  of  the  primeval  forest,  stately  and 
venerable  with  the  growth  of  centuries.  One,  whose  branches 
entirely  overarched  the  road,  at  an  elevation  of  more  than  a  hun- 
dred feet,  particularly  excited  our  admiration.  Though  its  limbs 
were  gnarled  and  distorted,  and  in  themselves  leafless,  they  were 
so  fantastic  in  shape  as  well  as  gigantic  in  dimensions,  and  so 
adorned  and  draped  with  parasites  and  creepers,  and  festoons  of 
gray  moss,  as  to  be  a  fit  study  for  an  artist. 

At  the  end  of  three  additional  miles,  we  came  suddenly  upon 
a  fine  field  of  luxuriant  Indian  corn  enclosed  by  a  hedge.  Into 
this  a  rustic  gate  led,  which  our  guide  threw  open  without  dis- 
mounting, and  uttered  the  announcement,  apparently  with  as  much 
pleasure  as  it  gave  us  to  hear  it,  "  Esta  Constantia !  "  "  This 
is  Constantia  !  "  We  were  at  the  entrance  of  a  little  valley,  two 
miles  in  length  by  a  half  mile  in  width,  encircled  by  high  hills, 
in  the  midst  of  which  the  buildings  of  the  establishment  of  Mr. 
Heath  are  clustered.  These  consist  of  a  principal  house  of  two 
stories,  plastered  and  whitewashed,  and  having  a  steep  shingled 
roof;  four  cottages  of  one  story  in  the  same  style,  in  front  of  this; 
and  various  out-buildings  and  offices  in  the  rear,  with  quarters 
for  the  negroes — the  whole  having  the  general  appearance  of  a 
Swiss  or  German  hamlet.  The  approach  is  by  a  well-made  drive, 
half  a  mile  in  length.  Trees  of  natural  growth  have  been  left 
here  and  there  near  this  and  in  the  adjoining  grounds ;  giving  to 
the  whole  somewhat  the  aspect  of  a  park. 

Our  host  met  us  at  the  gate  of  an  inner  enclosure  which 
protects  the  gardens  and  shrubbery.  He  is  six  feet  and  more  in 
height,  of  a  portliness  in  full  proportion,  and  frank,  open-hearted 
and  cordial  in  manner.  He  had  been  expecting  us  for  two  days, 
and  dinner  was  now  a  third  time  waiting  our  arrival.  We  had 
heard  of  his  facetiousness,  and  that  his  anecdotes  were  irre- 
sistible;  and  had  determined  before  meeting  him,  to  maintain 


THE    ESTATE   OF   CONSTANTIA.  407 

a  becoming  dignity.  Before  the  dinner  was  half  through,  however, 
we  found  all  our  precaution  vain  ;  and  under  the  rehearsal  of  some 
of  his  personal  adventures  in  Brazil,  were  obliged  to  give  way  to 
fits  of  laughter,  which  made  the  tears  run  down  our  cheeks. 

November  24:th. — The  estate  of  Constantia  is  two  miles 
square.  Its  first  owner  was  a  Swiss,  who  gave  it  the  name  it 
bears,  with  the  intention  of  cultivating  the  grape  on  its  hill- 
sides, in  the  hope  of  producing  a  wine  that  should  rival  that  of 
Constantia,  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  But  his  expectations  in 
regard  to  the  production  of  wine  were  disappointed ;  and  an  ex- 
periment with  coffee  succeeded  no  better.  The  soil  is  too  cold  and 
too  poor  to  produce  the  best  qualities  of  either ;  and  Mr.  Heath 
purchased  the  whole  property  for  a  small  sum.  The  house  and 
adjoining  cottages  are  situated  in  the  midst  of  flower-gardens, 
which  indicate  by  their  growth  any  thing  but  poverty  of  soil ;  and 
are  fragrant  with  the  perfume  of  the  tuberose  and  heliotrope,  cape 
jessamine  and  white  lily,  and  beautiful  in  moss-roses  and  camellias, 
the  most  splendid  carnations,  beds  of  violets  and  mignonette,  and 
an  endless  variety  of  choice  flowers.  The  stems  of  the  tuberose 
exhibit  eighteen  inches  of  closely-clustered  blossoms,  and  while 
the  white  lily  at  home  seldom  produces,  I  believe,  more  than  six 
or  seven  flowers  on  one  stock,  I  have  here  counted  thirteen.  The 
vegetable  gardens  and  fruit-yards  present  a  like  display  of  exuber- 
ant growth,  in  peas,  beans,  potatoes,  artichokes,  cabbages,  beets, 
cauliflowers,  strawberries,  raspberries,  limes^  lemons,  peaches, 
pears,  apples,  quinces  and  grapes.  These  in  constant  succession 
bring  a  rich  return  to  the  proprietor  from  the  market  at  Rio,  to 
which,  distant  as  it  is,  troupes  of  mules  carry  cargoes  as  far  as 
Piedade,  twice  every  week. 

The  work  of  the  estate  is  performed  by  slaves,  of  whom, 
•including  women  and  children,  there  are  thirty-three  on  the 
premises.  They  are  well-fed,  well-clothed,  and  well-treated,  and 
seem  to  be  contented  and  happy.  Their  master  is  a  humane  aud 
kind  man,  and  intends  to  give  to  all  their  freedom :  in  earnest 
of  which  he  has  already  manumitted  several,  who  still  continue 


408  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

■with  him,  and  to  whom  he  pays  regular  wages.  The  children 
come  round  him  at  his  call  with  laughter  and  gambols,  and 
scramble  playfully  for  the  biscuit  and  cakes  and  the  other  niceties 
which  he  carries  with  him  from  the  dining-hall,  for  the  purpose 
of  distributing  among  them.  The  gardens  are  under  the  care  of 
females  exclusively :  the  superintendent,  of  the  same  sex,  being 
thoroughly  skilled  in  the  business.  Every  thing  in  that  depart- 
ment is  under  her  sole  direction,  from  the  turning  over  of  the  earth 
for  planting,  to  the  gathering  of  the  produce,  and  the  arrange- 
ment of  it  in  panniers  for  the  market. 

All  hands  are  turned  out  for  work  at  daybreak ;  are  mustered 
by  name,  and  receive  orders  from  their  master  at  a  window  of  his 
room.  A  custom  is  observed  here,  and  I  am  told  in  all  well- 
regulated  families  in  Brazil,  which,  were  it  any  thing  more 
than  an  unmeaning  form,  would  be  interesting.  It  is  the 
asking  of  a  blessing  from  the  master  every  morning  and  every 
evening  at  the  close  of  the  day's  work  by  all  the  slaves,  of  both 
sexes  and  of  every  age.  The  full  form  of  words  is  the  following : 
"  I  beseech  your  blessing,  or  grant  me  a  blessing,  in  the  name 
of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ !  "  To  which  the  master 
replies,  "  Jesus  Christ  bless  you  for  ever  !  "  But  it  is  the  usage 
to  epitomize  these  expressions  by  the  interchange  of  the  shortest 
possible  abbreviations  of  them,  and  in  words  rather  startling  at 
first  to  the  ear  uninformed  of  the  designed  object ;  the  slaves 
as  they  present  themselves  merely  exclaiming,  in  all  manner 
of  intonations  of  voice  and  in  every  mood  of  humor — "  Jesus 
Christ !  "  While  the  master,  be  he  talking  or  laughing,  eating  or 
drinking,  or  in  whatever  way  employed,  without  any  interruption 
and  seemingly  without  any  regard  to  the  import  of  the  salutation, 
as  abruptly  replies,  "  Siempre  !  "  "  Forever !  "  The  effect  last 
night  was  quite  ludicrous,  as  fifteen  or  twenty  men  and  women 
came  in  from  labor  in  the  fields — probably  weary  and  hungry  and 
impatient  of  any  delay — and  thrust  their  heads  rapidly,  one  after 
another,  into  the  wiudows  and  doors  of  the  verandah  as  we  were 
at  the  tea-table,  with  the  above  exclamation  of  two  words  only ; 


SELF-TENDING   CORN-MILL.  409 

followed  instantly  by  the  single  one  from  the  master,  much  in  the 
manner  of  2,  feu  dejoie. 

No  bell,  nor  similar  means  of  summoning  the  outdoor  ser- 
vants is  used ;  but  tlie  clear,  trumpet-like  voice  of  the  master  is 
often  heard  far  and  wide,  sending  forth  with  a  distinctness  not  to 
be  mistaken,  the  names  of  those  needed.  While  listening  to 
these  stentorian  calls,  I  have  been  struck  with  the  euphony  and 
romance  of  many  of  the  names,  especially  those  of  the  females — 
Theresa  and  Rosa,  Justina  and  Juliana,  Januaria  and  Theodora : 
a  list  fit  for  the  court  calendar. 

Within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  the  houses  on  either  side, 
sharp  hills  rise  to  the  height  of  several  hundred  feet,  partially 
covered  on  their  sides  and  crowned  on  their  tops  with  intermingled 
woods  and  clifi's.  That  on  the  south  is  marked  in  its  whole 
length  by  the  broad  channel  of  a  watercourse;  this,  at  times, 
becomes  a  foaming  cascade,  compared  with  which,  the  artificial 
shoot  down  the  hill  at  Chatsworth,  would  appear  but  the  play- 
thing of  a  child.  At  present  die  quantity  of  water,  though 
flowing  with  great  swiftness,  is  small,  but  furnishes  an  abun- 
dant supply  for  plunging-baths  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  and  for 
keeping  a  corn-mill  near  by,  in  operation  day  and  night.  This 
mill  is  a  curiosity  in  one  respect — it  is  self-tending ;  so  far,  at 
least,  as  to  cease  working  when  the  hopper  becomes  empty.  The 
contrivance  is  very  simple,  and  consists  of  a  fixture  at  the  bottom 
of  the  hopper,  which,  acting  through  a  spring,  shuts  off  the  water 
from  the  wheel  when  the  weight  of  the  grain  is  removed. 

The  day  after  our  arrival  was  one  of  rain,  and  we  were 
kept  for  the  most  part  indoors.  This,  however,  we  scarcely 
regretted.  Indeed,  we  were  more  than  content  with  confinement 
in  the  midst  of  such  verdure  and  bloom ;  and  were  satisfied  for  the 
time,  in  the  freshness,  quietude,  and  rural  repose  of  this  secluded 
spot,  with  the  companionship,  through  the  windows  and  from  the 
verandah,  of  the  mules  and  cattle,  the  sheep  and  pigs,  geese,  ducks 
and  chickens,  turkeys  and  guinea-fowl,  with  which  the  pasture- 
grounds  and  enclosures  are  filled ;  and  not  less  with  that  of  our 
18 


^ 


410  BRAZIL   AND   LA  PLATA. 

intelligent  host  in  his  hours  of  leisure,  in  listening  to  his  anec- 
dotes and  reminiscences  of  life  in  Brazil.  He  has  pre-eminently 
the  talent  of  making  one  forget  that  he  is  a  stranger  in  his  house 
and  a  boarder  at  his  table.  You  feel  yourself  rather  to  be  the 
welcome  guest  of  friendship  under  the  hospitable  roof  of  the 
lord  of  the  manor,  on  whom  you  are  conferring  a  personal  favor 
by  your  visit.  His  sporting  stories  are  very  amusing  and  some- 
what marvellous.  There  is  no  end  to  the  rehearsal  of  the  adven- 
tures of  twenty  years,  in  hunts  after  the  leopard  and  ounce,  the 
tapir  and  deer,  the  peccary  and  other  game  of  the  forests.  He 
has,  too,  often  been  the  guide  and  companion  in  this  region,  of  the 
most  distinguished  travellers  who  have  visited  Brazil  in  that 
period.  He  ascended  the  loftiest  peaks  of  the  Organ  Mountains 
with  Dr.  Gardiner ;  and  gives  details  of  privations  and  hair- 
breadth escapes  in  wildernesses  before  untracked  by  man,  and 
upon  cliffs  and  precipices  previously  unsealed,  not  found  in  the 
published  records  of  the  accomplished  naturalist. 

Yesterday  and  to-day  the  weather  has  been  clear  and  fine,  and 
delightfully  bracing  and  elastic  :  the  mercury  varying  from  65° 
to  70°  Fahrenheit.  The  elevation  of  Constantia  above  the  bay 
of  Rio,  is  about  3000  feet.  The  highest  point  of  the  intervening 
range  of  mountains  is  6000.  The  site  of  the  houses  does  not 
command  a  view  of  the  Organ  chain :  but,  from  the  hill-side  on 
the  north,  it  is  distinctly  seen.  We  walked  a  short  distance  up 
this  last  evening,  just  before  nightfall,  and  found  the  entire  range 
magnificently  clothed  in  the  gorgeous  colorings  of  the  setting  sun. 
Though  at  the  distance  of  fifteen  miles  in  an  air-line,  the  sight 
was  sublime.  The  serrated  part  presents  aspects  on  this  side 
altogether  new ;  and  more  wild  and  fantastic,  if  possible,  than 
those  on  the  other.  I  secured  the  outline  of  a  sketch,  which, 
when  seen  by  you,  may  lead  you  to  suppose  me  sporting  with 
your  credulity. 

We  have  rambled  with  delight  at  different  times  through  the 
little  valley  in  the  rear  of  the  establishment.  It  is  two  miles  in 
length ;  is  prettily  watered  by  a  winding  stream  and  diversified  by 


DEPARTURE  FROM  CONSTANTIA.         411 

glade  and  dell — pastoral  in  its  herds  of  cattle  and  flocks  of  sheep, 
and  vocal  with  the  murmuring  of  water  and  the  music  of  birds.  I 
do  not  include  in  the  melody  of  these,  however,  the  noisy  chatter 
of  fl^ocks  of  parroquets ;  though  the  beauty  of  their  gay  plumage, 
added  to  the  attractiveness  of  our  walks,  as,  fluttering  through 
the  air,  it  flashed  upon  the  eye  in  the  bright  rays  of  the  sun,  like 
masses  of  emeralds  and  gold.  We  made  the  attempt  to  ascend 
some  of  the  hills  for  more  commanding  points  of  view ;  but  found, 
even  those  which  were  without  wood,  and  which  appeared  at  a 
distance  to  be  almost  as  smooth  as  the  turf  of  a  lawn,  to  be  alto- 
gether impracticable,  from  the  thickness  and  rankness  of  the 
growth  of  ferns  with  which  they  are  covered.  On  a  near  ap- 
proach, these  were  seen  to  rise  far  above  our  heads  in  impene- 
trable   thickets.     We   undertook    to   advance   a   short    distance 

among  them ;  but,  though  Dr.  C is  of  no  contemptible  height 

— six  feet  four  inches — and  not  without  proportionate  strength 
of  muscle,  we  were  very  willing,  at  the  end  of  a  few  min- 
utes, to  give  over  the  effort.  Progress  can  be  made  through  them 
only  with  a  sharp  bramble-scythe,  or  a  sickle  in  hand.  They 
are  so  thick-set,  and  so  even  in  height,  that  the  negroes,  Mr. 
Heath  tells  us,  in  returning  from  labor  on  the  hills,  often  make 
short  work  of  the  descent  by  projecting-  themselves  headforemost 
for  long  distances,  in  steep  places,  over  the  compact  surface  of 
their  tops. 

Petkopolis. 

November  ^Oth. — We  bade  adieu  to  Constantia  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  26th  inst.  It  was  not  yet  sunrise  when  we  took  leave 
of  our  host  for  the  ride  of  forty  miles  through  the  mountains  to 
this  place.  We  set  off  in  the  following  order ;  first,  a  sumpter- 
mule,  with  our  luggage  and  provender  for  the  day,  led  by  a  negro 
on  foot ;  then  a  courier,  the  counterpart  in  age,  size,  and  black- 
ness, of  our  guide  from  San  Aliexo,  but  a  perfect  dandy  in  com- 
parison, in  his  costume — being  dressed  in  a  trimly-fitted  jacket 
and  trowsers  of  new  nankeen,  a  highly  polished  castor  hat  with 


412  BRAZIL  AND  LA  PLATA. 

velvet  band  and  broad  rim,  beneath  which  was  worn,  in  Brazilian 
style,  a  scarlet  silk  handkerchief,  floating  loosely  down  the  shoul- 
ders behind ;  leggings  of  untanned  leather,  so  wide  at  the  top  as 
to  serve  for  the  reception  and  safe  carriage  of  all  kinds  of  small 
packages  and  parcels,  but  terminating  in  bare  feet  well-spurred ;  the 
Padre,  as  I  am  styled,  and  his  mule  came  next ;  while  the  fleet- 
surgeon,  last  in  position,  but  first  in  height  and  dignity,  brought 
up  the  rear.  I  was  quite  impressed  with  the  appearance  of 
respectability  in  our  departure,  by  the  long  line  thus  formed,  till, 
at  the  outer  gate,  it  was  suddenly  shorn  of  its  "proportions"  by  the 
loss  of  our  footman,  who,  tying  the  halter  of  the  beast  he  was 
leading,  firmly  into  the  long  hair  of  the  tail  of  our  little  courier's 
mule,  gave  us  his  benediction  and  returned  to  the  house. 

The  morning  was  beautiful,  the  air  fresh  as  the  breath  of 
June,  and  the  light,  fleecy  clouds  floating  in  the  sky,  tinted  with 
bright  hues.  Our  way  for  some  miles  was  a  grass-edged  and 
dewy  path  through  the  woods.  From  these,  unnumbered  birds 
poured  forth  their  matin  songs  as  if 

"  every  sense  and  every  pulse  were  joy." 

There  is  an  untiring  charm  in  the  woodland  scenery  here ;  the 
growth  is  often  so  majestic  and  widespreading,  and  the  foliage  so 
varied  in  form  and  coloring.  We  were  gratified  by  the  near 
view,  in  two  or  three  instances,  of  a  fine,  lofty,  forest-tree,  which 
had  at  other  times  attracted  our  attention  at  a  distance,  by  the 
flowers  of  mingled  pink  and  lilac  with  which  it  was  thickly 
studded.  These  grow  singly,  and  not  in  clusters ;  but  the  gen- 
eral eff"ect,  from  the  intermingling  of  strongly  contrasted  shades 
of  one  color  in  the  same  flowers,  is  that  of  the  apple  blossom. 
The  lowest  branches,  however,  were  too  lofty  to  allow  a  satisfac- 
tory examination  of  them.  Among  the  most  graceful  of  the 
growth,  which  in  some  places  fringed  and  overarched  our  way, 
was  the  bamboo,  shooting  up  in  thick  clusters  to  the  height  of 
fifty,  and  even  a  hundred  feet.  The  tree-ferns,  too,  were  con- 
spicuous, their  umbrella-like  tops  giving  them  in  the  distance  the 


OLD   TREES   AND   BLACK   MONKEYS.  413 

appearance  of  palm  trees  in  miniature.  Parasites  and  creepers 
entangled  the  whole  woods,  while  the  former,  mounting  to  the 
tops  of  the  loftiest  branches,  descended  low  again  towards 
the  ground  in  gracefully  sweeping  pendants.  Surrounded  by 
such  imagery  and  breathing  such  air,  with  the  golden  sun 
flickering  through  the  tree-tops  upon  our  path,  or  gleaming 
brightly  over  a  glade  on  its  side,  I  felt  as  buoyant  in  spirit  as 
when  a  boy  I  roved  over  the  pine-covered  hills  of  Otsego. 

At  one  place  the  road  merely  skirted  the  woods  and  com- 
manded a  broad  expanse  of  cleared  land  in  a  valley.  A  striking 
feature  here,  was  the  number  of  stately  old  trees  which  still  stud- 
ded the  landscape.  They  were  leafless  and  lifeless,  however,  and 
so  blanched  from  top  to  bottom  as  to  seem  whitewashed.  Masses 
of  gray  moss  hanging  in  long  pendants  from  the  skeleton  limbs, 
gave  to  them,  in  contrast  with  the  vigor  of  life  by  which  they 
were  surrounded,  a  melancholy  and  funereal  aspect.  Just  as  we 
were  emerging  from  a  thick  wood  on  a  side  hill  which  overlooked 
the  trees  below,  my  friend  said  to  me,  "  All  that  is  needed  to 
make  our  ride  perfect  in  its  kind,  is  »  sight  of  some  of  the  wild 
animals  of  the  country."  I  replied,  "  Yes,  any  thing  but  a  tiger 
or  a  leopard."  I  had  scarcely  finished  the  sentence,  when  a  suc- 
cession of  fierce  and  angry  shrieks  and  screams  burst  forth  be- 
neath us ;  and  looking  in  the  direction,  we  saw  a  whole  tree-top 
filled  with  black,  long-tailed  monkeys — they  were  in  terrible  com- 
motion— a  regular  family  quarrel.  Every  branch  of  the  tree 
swayed  to  and  fro,  as  they  leaped  about  and  swung  themselves  by 
their  tails  from  the  end  of  one  limb  to  that  of  another.  The 
tread  of  our  mules  or  the  sound  of  our  voices,  however,  sud- 
denly put  an  end  to  their  squabble,  and  in  an  instant,  the  whole 
troop  in  afiright  disappeared  in  the  thick  wood. 

At  the  end  of  a  few  miles  we  came  to  the  turnpike  by  which 
we  had  mounted  the  Sierra,  and  followed  it  northward  a  short 
distance.  It  was  crowded  with  troupes  of  mules,  just  setting  off 
from  the  ranches  at  which  they  had  passed  the  night.  The  mule- 
teers at  one  point,  were  engaged  in  replacing  the  burdens  on 


414  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

their  animals.  Their  occupation  is  far  from  being  a  sinecure. 
Besides  making  the  journey  of  hundreds  of  leagues  on  foot,  they 
have  daily,  and  sometimes  repeatedly  each  day,  to  load  and  unload 
their  beasts,  and  to  readjust  the  many  straps  by  which  the  freight 
they  transport  is  kept  ^^^H-l^alanced,  and  secure  from  damage. 
The  ordinary  load  of  a  mule  is  from  six  to  eight  ^^arohas^^  of 
thirty-two  pounds  each,  and  the  usual  distance  travelled  in  a  day, 
from  twelve  to  sixteen  miles. 

The  middle  section  of  the  journey  was  marked  by  a  succes- 
sion of  pyramidal  hills  of  bare  granite,  a  thousand  and  more  feet  in 
height,  rising  from  the  bosoms  of  the  valleys  which  encircle  their 
bases  like  so  many  gigantic  sugar-loaves.  They  appeared  to  be 
utterly  inaccessible,  and  presented  cliffs  on  some  of  their  sides 
hundreds  of  feet  in  almost  perpendicular  descent.  About  noon, 
surrounded  by  parroquets  in  flocks  and  other  birds  of  gay  plumage, 
we  gained  the  highest  point  of  land  on  the  route.  It  command- 
ed sublime  views  of  the  mountains,  both  before  and  behind  us ; 
and,  among  other  objects,  one  of  special  interest  to  us  personally 
in  the  cabin  of  a  free  negro  a  short  distance  ahead,  to  which  we 
had  been  directed  as  a  good  place  to  refresh  our  animals  and  to 
take  our  luncheon.  We  had  accomplished  fifteen  miles  of  the 
journey.  The  next  fifteen  were  less  interesting  in  every  respect ; 
the  general  surface  of  the  country  was  bare,  and  the  mountains 
sterile  and  naked.  The  glare  of  the  sun  was  oppressive,  and  by 
the  time  we  had  finished  that  additional  distance,  we  began  to  be 
fagged  and  weary.  And  this,  you  will  ask,  while  still  surrounded 
by  much  that  was  strikingly  novel  and  magnificent  ?  I  will  refer 
you  for  our  vindication  in  the  case,  to  any  one  who  has  been  ten 
hours  in  succession  on  muleback,  riding  up  hill  and  down  dale, 
over  a  scarcely  practicable  mountain  road.  A  mule  is  a  very 
nice  animal  for  the  ride  of  an  hour  over  smooth  ground,  and  one 
that  is  full-blooded  and  wellbroken,  very  passable  perhaps  for  the 
ride  of  a  day ;  but  to  be  mounted  from  sunrise  to  sunset  on 
such  beasts  as  we  had,  and  to  travel  for  a  whole  day  over  such 
a  road,  are  enough  to  make  any  one  who  has  suffered  the  experi- 


ISOLATED   PEAKS.  415 

ence  groan  afresh  at  the  remembrance  of  it.  I  was  not  aware 
before  that  there  was  such  entire  antagonism  in  the  peculiar,  short, 
broken,  and  half-finished  motions  of  the  brute ;  causing  one  to 
feel  at  the  end  of  a  day's  journey  very  much  as  it  might  be  sup- 
posed he  would,  if  subjected  in  rapid  succession  for  the  same 
length  of  time,  to  a  constant  simultaneous  jerk  of  the  shoulders, 
twist  of  the  hips,  rap  on  the  ankles,  and  thump  in  the  back ; 
while  the  head  has  been  kept  incessantly  bobbing  up  and  down  in 
involuntary  motion,  like  that  of  a  Chinese  image  when  once  set 
going.  I  know  nothing  like  it  in  travel  for  weariness,  at  least 
to  the  unpractised  rider. 

Late  in  the  afternoon,  we  came  upon  the  other  great  highway 
from  the  metropolis  to  the  mines  in  the  far  interior,  and  following 
it,  found  the  last  ten  miles,  through  the  valley  and  beside  the  rip- 
pling waters  of  the  Rio  Piabanha,  to  be  beautiful,  not  only  in 
natural  scenery,  but  from  cultivation  and  long  settlement.  I 
must  confess,  however,  that  it  required  an  after  ride  over  it  fully 
to  persuade  us  of  this.  At  the  time,  we  were  too  much  done 
over  for  high  admiration  of  any  thing ;  and  were  chiefly  occupied 
in  straining  our  vision  for  some  indications  of  being  near  our  place 
of  rest.  At  length,  the  little  guide,  a  short  distance  in  advance 
of  us,  reining  in  his  mule  at  the  top  of  an  ascent  in  a  gorge  of 
the  hills,  exclaimed  to  us  in  Portuguese — "  Come  see  Petropolis !  " 
We  doubted  whether  it  might  not  be  still  miles  distant;  but 
pushing  on,  were  well  pleased  to  catch  sight  of  the  town,  pictured 
in  beauty  before  us,  not  a  quarter  of  a  mile  off,  at  the  bottom 
of  the  hill.  We  were  glad  to  see  our  little  courier  ride  to  the 
door  of  the  first  house  at  the  entrance  of  the  place,  as  the  hotel 
which  Mr.  Heath  had  recommended  to  us  as  the  best :  had  it 
been  the  worst,  scarcely  any  inducement  could  have  led  us  a  hun- 
dred yards  further  in  search  of  any  other.  We  were  barely  able 
to  dismount. 

I  never  saw  a  place  of  which  the  common  phrase  "  nestled 
among  hills,"  is  so  descriptive  as  Petropolis — in  fact,  it  is  doubly 
"nestled."     First,  by  a  half-dozen   beautiful  bills  which  rise 


416  BRAZIL   AND   LA  PLATA. 

abruptly  around  it  to  the  height  of  two  or  three  hundred  f*  et, 
and  then  again  by  mountains  which  tower  to  an  elevation  of  as 
many  thousands.  The  central  part  of  the  town  lies  in  a  little 
triangular  basin,  a  half-mile  in  extent  each  way.  From  this, 
glens  filled  with  cottages  and  pleasant  residences,  diverge  in  vari- 
ous directions.  Each  has  a  mountain-stream  running  through  it, 
two  of  the  principal  of  which,  flowing  from  opposite  directions, 
meet  in  the  centre  of  the  place.  The  surrounding  country  is 
the  private  property  of  the  Emperor,  by  the  purchase  of  his 
father  Pedro  I.  It  was  the  design  of  this  sovereign  to  colonize  it 
at  the  time  with  Grermans,  but  his  abdication  prevented  the  accom- 
plishment of  this.  His  son  carried  it  out,  by  offering,  ten  years 
ago,  such  inducements  to  immigrants  in  gratuities  of  land,  that 
the  colony  now  numbers  six  thousand  inhabitants,  chiefly  Ger- 
mans. The  Emperor  early  built  a  cottage  for  himself  in  the 
centre  of  the  village,  with  the  view  of  making  an  occasional  visit 
to  the  place.  The  appearance  of  the  yellow  fever  in  Rio  as  an 
epidemic,  has  since  led  to  the  construction  of  a  palace  on  the 
same  site,  which  is  to  be  a  regular  summer  residence  of  the  Im- 
perial family ;  and  Petropolis,  from  the  sickliness  of  the  city  and 
the  example  of  the  Emperor,  has  become  the  favorite  resort,  as  a 
watering-place,  of  the  rich  and  fashionable. 

Though  it  is  not  yet  the  "  season,"  there  are  many  visitors  here 
at  present,  among  whom  we  were  happy  to  meet  our  friend  Lieut. 
F of  the  Congress,  and  a  party  of  his  English  friends,  resi- 
dents of  Rio.  The  whole  place  has  the  air  of  an  enterprising, 
thrifty,  and  prosperous  new  settlement  at  home,  attributable  to 
the  fact  that  instead  of  enervated  and  indolent  Portuguese  and 
Brazilians,  the  inhabitants  are  industrious,  managing,  and  hard- 
working Germans.  The  walks  and  drives  in  the  vicinity,  for  miles 
in  every  direction,  are  varied  and  beautiful.  It  is  only  a  mile 
and  a  half  from  the  "  Alto  do  Sierra,"  the  point  at  which  the 
great  highway  from  Rio  to  the  mining  districts  gains  the  height 
of  the  chain;  the  view  from  which  is  thought  by  many  to 
outrival  that  of  "  Boa  Vista  "  in  the  Organ  Mountains  :  we  have 


GERMAN    PROTESTANT   WORSHIP.  417 

enjoyed  it  under  great  advantages  of  light  and  shade,  and  think 
if  there  is  a  difference,  it  is  that  the  latter  has  more  wildness  and 
sublimity  of  foreground,  and  the  former  more  softness  and  beauty 
in  the  general  panorama.  The  road  by  which  the  passage  of  the 
mountain  is  here  made,  is,  in  its  grading  and  construction,  an 
exceedingly  fine  work,  equal  to  most  of  those  found  in  the  simi- 
lar passes  of  Europe.  The  first  railroad  projected  in  Brazil  is 
now  in  construction,  from  the  bay  of  Rio  to  the  foot  of  the 
mountains.  Its  line,  clearly  traceable  from  the  "  Alto,"  is  a  new 
and  most  hopeful  feature  in  a  landscape  of  this  Empire.  Among 
the  most  interesting  of  our  fellow-guests  at  the  hotel  here,  are 
the  Chief  Engineer,  an  Englishman — Mr.  Bragge — and  his  fam- 
ily, and  his  assistant,  Col.  Grolfredo,  a  Neapolitan  exile. 

The    German    population    is    about    equally   divided   as  to 
religious  creeds ;   about  three  thousand  being  Protestants  and 

three  thousand  Bomanists.     On  the  Sabbath  Dr.  C and  I 

attended  worship  in  the  Protestant  chapel.  Places  for  Protestant 
worship  are  prohibited  the  external  architecture  of  a  church  build- 
ing ;  and  but  for  the  assemblage  of  people  at  the  door,  we  should  not 
have  been  able  to  distinguish  the  chapel  from  the  row  of  houses 
under  one  roof,  among  which  it  stands.  The  interior  is  simple 
and  rude,  and  sufficient  only  to  accommodate  three  or  four  hundred 
worshippers.  About  that  number  were  present.  They  are  just 
now  without  a  pastor,  and  the  schoolmaster  of  the  town  officiated. 
The  order  of  the  services,  including  the  reading  of  a  sermon,  was 
that  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  The  worshippers  seemed  serious 
and  devout ;  and  though  the  whole  was  to  us  in  an  unknown 
tongue,  we  endeavored — not  in  vain  we  trust — to  make  "  melody 
in  our  hearts,"  with  their  singing,  and  with  their  prayers  to  pray 
"  with  the  spirit  and  with  the  understanding." 
18* 


i*v*t  ..1..V.  - ,. 


CHAPTEE     XXX. 

Buenos  Atees. 
January  l^th^  1853. — I  am  again  in  Buenos  Ayres,  and  find 
it  for  the  fourth  time  within  the  two  years  past,  in  an  entirely  new 
aspect.  The  contrast  between  its  present  condition  and  that  in 
which  I  first  saw  it,  is  peculiarly  striking.  Then,  all  that  met 
the  eye  gave  evidence  of  peace,  quietude,  public  order,  safety, 
and  seeming  prosperity.  There  was  the  bustle  of  active  business 
every  where — at  the  crowded  landing  in  boats  and  lighters  plying 
rapidly  between  the  shipping  and  the  shore,  and  in  the  thronged 
thoroughfares  in  the  trucks  of  the  warehouses,  and  the  ponderous 
carts  with  their  long  lines  of  oxen  from  the  interior.  Pleasure, 
too,  was  heard  and  seen  on  every  side,  in  the  gay  chat  of  the  pro- 
menaders  on  the  sidewalks,  the  dashing  by  of  equipages  through 
the  streets,  and  in  the  laugh  and  gallop  of  riders,  both  male  and 
female,  coursing  along  the  shore.  Now,  in  place  of  peace,  there 
is  war ;  in  place  of  quietude  and  order,  anarchy  and  confusion ;  in 
place  of  safety,  danger ;  and  of  seeming  prosperity,  apprehended 
ruin  !  All  business,  foreign  and  domestic,  is  suspended ;  the  mole 
is  like  a  place  of  the  dead,  the  shops  and  houses  are  all  closed, 
the  street  deserted ;  every  native  male  inhabitant,  between  the 
years  of  sixteen  and  sixty,  under  arms  and  on  daily  duty,  and  the 
city  begirt,  within  a  dozen  squares  of  its  centre,  by  hostile  troops 
composed  of  its  own  people.     By  these,  all  intercourse  between 


CIVIL    WAR   IN   BUENOS   AYRES.  419 

the  city  and  the  country  is  prevented,  and  all  supplies  of  provi- 
sion cut  off ;  while  they  daily  direct  the  murderous  fire  of  their 
muskets  and  cannon  down  the  streets  occupied  by  their  neighbors, 
relatives,  and  friends.  And  what,  it  will  be  asked,  is  the  cause 
of  this  state  (f£  things,  and  what  the  origin  of  the  civil  war? 
Even  the  best  informed  on  the  subject  here,  whose  feelings  and 
judgment  have  not  been  perverted  by  partisanship,  reply  by  say- 
ing, "  Who  can  tell  ?  "  One  thing  is  clear,  the  cause  is  not  a 
spirit  of  patriotism  excited  by  oppression,  or  the  origin  a  sense  of 
right  under  the  pressure  of  wrong;  nor  are  either  traceable 
to  the  conflicting  policy  of  contending  parties  in  regard  to  the  pub- 
lic good :  patriotism,  right,  and  public  good,  are  but  empty  words 
here.  The  highest  principle  seems  to  be  that  of  personal  ambition, 
in  a  few  military  aspirants,  sustained  by  ignorant  and  merce- 
nary followers :  and  the  ruling  motive  the  attainment  of  power — 
power  over  "the  receipt  of  customs,"  and  power  over  the  "  Paper 
Bank,"  with  the  opportunity  of  robbing  the  public,  under  the 
name  of  office  and  the  form  of  law.  This  may  be  thought  a  harsh 
and  summary  judgment  in  the  case,  but  it  is  sustained  by  facts. 

The  history  of  public  affairs  at  Buenos  Ayres  for  the  last 
six  months  may  be  briefly  told.  After  Urquiza  had  found  it 
necessary  to  dissolve  the  House  of  Representatives  in  the  man- 
ner described  during  my  last  visit,  and  to  assume  the  supreme 
authority,  he  gave  full  evidence  of  the  enlightened  and  public- 
spirited  policy  of  the  government  he  purposed  to  exercise.  His 
first  measure  was  the  establishment  of  the  public  schools  which 
Rosas  had  suppressed ;  and  the  introduction  into  them  of  the 
Bible  as  the  text-book  of  morals  and  religion.  Another  project 
was  the  building  of  a  breakwater  and  mole,  for  the  protection  of 
ships  and  the  benefit  of  the  commerce  of  the  port ;  and  a  third 
the  construction  of  a  railroad  into  the  interior.  This  policy,  in 
acts  and  purposes,  begat  confidence  in  him  among  capitalists  and 
the  friends  of  progress  ;  and  high  hopes  were  entertained  of  future 
prosperity  to  the  city  and  state.  In  September,  however,  he  was 
called  from  Buenos  Ayres  to  the  Congress  appointed  by  the  dif- 


420  BRAZIL   AND  LA  PLATA. 

erent  States,  to  convene  at  the  city  of  Santa  F6  on  the  Parana, 
for  the  formation  of  a  general  constitution  and  the  consolidation 
of  the  Republics  into  one  government.  He  left  a  small  body 
only  of  his  own  troops  at  Buenos  Ayres,  and  embarked  on  his 
mission.  But  the  smoke  of  the  steamer  which  carried  him  to  his 
destination  had  scarcely  faded  on  the  horizon  before  a  revolution 
was  effected  by  his  enemies,  and  a  new  government  organized. 
The  first  measure  adopted  by  it,  was  a  resolution  to  invade 
Entre-Bios,  the  State  of  Urquiza.  For  this  a  force  was  de- 
spatched both  by  water  and  by  land :  that  by  water  was 
summarily  defeated  and  dispersed  by  the  Entre-Bians,  and  that 
marching  by  land,  informed  of  the  disaster,  halted  on  the  fron- 
tiers. Money  was  of  course  necessary  for  the  subsistence  of  the 
troops  on  this  expedition ;  and  the  new  minister  of  war  obtained 
the  issue  of  a  large  amount  of  paper  money  by  the  bank  for  this 
purpose.  He  forwarded  it  to  the  disbursing  officer,  however,  with 
instructions  to  keep  it  in  safety  till  he  could  arrive  himself  to 
attend  the  distribution  of  it  among  the  soldiers.  He  left  the 
capital  professedly  on  this  errand,  proceeded  to  the  camp,  ob- 
tained possession  of  the  money,  crossed  the  frontier,  exchanged 
the  paper  for  gold,  and  emigrated  beyond  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  government  of  which  he  was  a  member !  The  soldiers, 
disappointed  in  their  pay,  were  conducted  by  their  leaders  to 
Buenos  Ayres,  to  obtain  redress  by  a  new  issue  from  the  bank ; 
but  before  they  reached  their  destination  a  second  revolution 
took  place.  The  government  which  had  enlisted  and  pro- 
mised to  pay  them  had  been  overturned ;  and  that  now  in  power 
refused  their  demands.  In  consequence  of  this  the  troops  in- 
vested the  city ;  and  hence  the  civil  war — the  parties  being  the 
'  insiders '  and  the  '  outsiders.'  Those  without  are  not  in  sufficient 
force  to  take  the  city  by  assault;  and  those  within  have  no 
power  by  which  to  drive  the  besiegers  from  the  suburbs.  It  is 
said  that  Urquiza  has  furnished  material  aid  to  the  outsiders, 
and  on  the  adjournment  of  the  Congress  of  Santa  Fe  will  join 
them  in  person  with  his  Entre-Bian  troops. 


SAVAGE   ATROCITIES.  421 

One  can  scarcely  give  credit  to  the  atrocities  committed  in 
the  guerillas,  which  almost  daily  take  place — atrocities  which 
would  disgrace  a  horde  of  savages.  What  think  you  of  the  exe- 
cution of  prisoners  by  stretching  them  on  the  ground,  making 
their  wrists  and  ankles  fast  with  thongs  of  raw  hide  to  four 
horses  faced  in  four  different  directions,  and  then,  by  starting 
these  on  the  gallop,  at  a  single  spring,  to  tear  them  into  quar- 
ters !  Yet  this  has  been  done  within  a  few  days  in  public,  and 
in  the  presence  of  an  of&cer,  from  whom,  an  eye-witness,  Mr. 
Lore  received  the  account.  A  few  mornings,  since  the  coach- 
man of  Mrs.  Z ,  coming  into  the  town  from  a  quinta  or 

country-house  near  the  lines,  which  the  family  had  been 
obliged  suddenly  to  abandon,  perceiving  two  horsemen  of  the 
outside  party  riding  furiously  down  the  street  towards  him, 
stepped  on  one  side  to  let  them  pass  ;  and  in  doing  so  he  observed 
something  attached  to  a  rope  dragging  behind  them.  A  second 
look  as  they  flew  by,  showed  it  to  be  the  body  of  a  man,  in  the 
uniform  of  the  national  guard,  who  had  been  either  just  lassoed 
or  shot  by  them.  At  a  short  distance  these  fellows  met  three  or 
four  of  their  comrades ;  and  drawing  up  to  speak  to  one  another, 
the  whole  party  amused  themselves  by  beating  the  head  of  the 
dead  victim  with  the  butts  of  their  carbines ! 

For  an  hour  or  two,  almost  every  morning  and  every  evening, 
sharp-shooting  is  heard  in  various  directions  around  the  city.  A 
party  of  twenty  or  thirty  outsiders,  will,  at  such  times,  dash  up 
to  the  barricades  at  the  ends  of  the  streets,  or  a  party  of  the 
same  number  of  insiders  will  rush  out  beyond  them — without 
any  object  in  either  case,  but  that  of  having  a  shot  at  each  other 
— and  blaze  away  till  tired  of  the  sport ;  fortunately,  for  the 
most  part,  without  much  bloodshed  or  a  loss  of  life.  Occasion- 
ally, one  or  two  on  either  side  fall,  or  an  innocent  spectator  or 
passer-by  receives  a  fatal  shot.  The  people  along  the  lines  have 
now  become  so  used  to  this,  as  not  to  regard  these  skirmishes. 

Last  evening  Commodore  McKeever,  Dr.  C and  I,  went  to 

the  quinta  of  Mr.  K to  take  tea.     This  is  in  the  midst  of 


422  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

the  battle-ground  between  the  lines.  As  we  arrived,  a  sharp  skir- 
mish had  just  ended,  during  which  musket-balls  had  struck  the 
house,  and  one,  the  drawing-room  window,  near  which  Mr.  and 

Mrs.  K were  sitting.     A  few  evenings  ago  we  were  at  the 

parade-ground,  at  the  north  end  of  the  city,  witnessing  the  even- 
ing drill.  A  skirmish  was  at  the  time  taking  place  about  half  a 
mile  distant,  along  the  flat  towards  Palermo ;  and  it  was  notable 
to  see  the  perfect  coolness  with  which  one  and  another — some 
singly  and  others  two  and  three  in  company — would  catch  up 
their  muskets  and  walk  or  lope  towards  the  scene  of  the  guerilla, 
laughing  and  chatting  as  they  arranged  their  arms  for  tiring,  as 
if  it  were  a  shooting-match  for  goose  or  turkey  they  were  about 
to  try  a  hand  at,  in  place  of  the  life  of  a  fellow-being.  The 
whole  contest  is  boyish  in  its  mode  of  operation,  as  well  as  mur- 
derous in  its  motive  and  end.  I  am  told  by  those  who  have  wit- 
nessed it  at  the  lines,  that  the  manner  in  which  the  parties  chal- 
lenge each  other  to  these  skirmishes — their  taunts  and  ribaldry, 
shoutings  and  insults,  are  both  amusing  and  ridiculous.  Every 
two  or  three  days  a  sortie  is  made  by  a  body  of  three  or  four 
hundred  from  the  inside,  on  a  forage  for  grass.  These  geoerally 
lead  to  the  loss  of  lives  on  both  sides.  A  few  mornings  ago,  on 
such  an  occasion,  an  officer  from  the  inside  performed  quite  a 
feat  of  valor  and  presence  of  mind.  He  suddenly  found  himself 
cut  off  from  the  party  he  was  commanding  by  a  mounted  baud, 
who  had  awaited  him  in  ambush.  The  first  intimation  he  had  of 
danger  was  in  finding  a  lasso  around  his  neck.  He  freed  him- 
self expertly  from  this  with  his  knife,  just  in  time  to  receive  one 
of  the  attacking  party,  coming  at  full  charge  upon  him  with  a 
lance  :  this  he  not  only  parried,  but  wresting  it  from  the  grasp 
of  its  owner,  unhorsed  and  pierced  him  through  with  it.  By  this 
time  another  lancer  was  upon  him,  but  ojAy  to  be  run  through 
with  the  same  weapon.  He  then  drew  a  revolver,  with  which  he 
brought  a  third  to  the  ground ;  and  by  wounding  a  fourth  in 
another  shot,  effected  a  return  to  his  own  party. 

March  12t7i, — The  chief  interest  in  public  affairs  still  centres 


DAILY   RESULTS   OF   GUERILLAS.  423 

in  the  civil,  war.  The  presence  of  Commodore  McKeever  con- 
tinues to  be  important  and  essential  for  the  interest  and  safety 
of  American  residents  and  their  property.  His  flag  is  borne  by 
the  "  Jamestown,"  on  board  which  a  detachment  of  marines  from 
the  Congress,  under  Lieut.  Holmes,  is  quartered,  in  addition  to 
the  guard  belonging  to  that  vessel.  The  quarters  of  the  Commo- 
dore and  his  suite  are  on  shore. 

No  important  change  in  the  attitude  of  the  conflicting  parties 
has  occurred ;  though  the  arrival  of  a  deputation  appointed  by 
the  general  Congress  of  the  Provinces  at  Santa  F6,  with  propo- 
sals of  mediation  on  the  part  of  Urquiza,  has  given  rise  to  some 
hope  of  an  amicable  adjustment  of  the  difficulties.  A  corres- 
ponding deputation  has  been  appointed  by  the  government  of  the 
city ;  an  armistice  proclaimed ;  and  a  conference  on  neutral 
ground  is  now  being  held. 

April  SOth. — All  overtures  for  reconciliation  between  the 
belligerent  parties  have  failed,  and  guerillas  are  again  taking 
place,  with  the  usual  loss  of  blood  and  life  to  both  parties.  A 
rigid  blockade  has  been  added  to  the  investment  of  the  city  by 
land ;  and  the  consequence  is  a  limited  supply  of  provisions 
among  the  rich,  and  sufl"ering  and  starvation  among  the  poor. 
The  skirmishes  of  the  last  two  or  three  mornings  have  been  very 
heavy ;  but  such  creatures  of  habit  are  we,  that  with  cannon 
roaring  all  around  us,  and  constant  volleys  of  musketry  at  the 
distance  of  a  mile  or  two  only,  bringing  death  with  each  discharge 
to  some  fellow-mortal,  we  now  hear  the  sounds  for  hours  without 
scarcely  a  thought  of  the  fatal  resits.  This  morning  as  we  sat 
down  to  breakfast  at  Mr.  H 's,  two  or  three  gentlemen  de- 
scended from  the  flat  roof  of  the  house,  where  they  had  been 
watching  with  a  glass  the  progress  of  a  guerilla.  They  reported 
that  they  had  just  seen  many  on  both  sides  fall  from  their  horses, 
as  the  parties  fired  upon  each  other ;  but  no  one  present  seemed 
to  feel  that  it  was  a  matter  of  more  moment  than  the  issue  of 
any  common  sporting-match.  The  besiegers  have  no  mortars  or 
bombs ;  but  frequently  send  cannon  balls  far  into  the  city.     Two 


424  BRAZIL   AND  LA   PLATA. 

mornings  ago,  one  of  these  took  off  the  head  of  a  poor  woman 
a  short  distance  only  from  the  neighborhood  in  which  we  were, 
just  as  she  had  risen  from  her  bed  and  was  combing  her  hair.  It 
is  thus  that  they  scatter  firebrands,  arrows,  and  death,  and  say, 
are  we  not  in  sport  ?  My  views  of  the  reign  of  Rosas  are  much 
modified  by  passing  events,  and  the  knowledge  they  give  of  the 
people.  In  the  various  revolutions  and  counter-revolutions  of 
years  which  preceded  his  accession  to  power,  thirty  thousand  of 
them  perished  fram  bloodshed  and  violence  at  the  hands  of  each 
other ;  and  more  lives  have  been  sacrificed  here,  in  the  same  man- 
ner, within  the  last  three  months,  than  during  the  whole  of  his 
despotic  rule.  His  policy  was  to  put  summarily  to  death,  those 
whom  he  regarded  as  factionists  and  dangerous  citizens,  and  thus, 
by  inspiring  terror,  to  secure  peace,  order,  and  safety  to  the  mass. 
How  far  was  he  in  error  ? 

Commodore  McKeever,  after  the  detention  here  of  four  months 
by  the  exigency  of  public  affairs,  during  which  he  has  rendered 
most  important  public  service,  is  obliged  by  duty  elsewhere,  to  leave 
the  further  protection  of  our  countrymen  and  their  interests  to 
the  commander  of  the  "  Jamestown ; "  and  will  bid  adieu  to- 
morrow to  Buenos  Ayres  for  the  last  time.  We  must  therefore 
let  the  curtain  drop  on  the  tragedy  in  performancje  here  ;  and  be 
content  to  learn  its  uncertain  issues  in  our  own  distant  and 
blessed  land.  The  last  mail-packet  brought  to  us  the  welcome 
intelligence  that  the  Congress  would  return  to  the  United  States 
without  waiting  the  arrival  of  '  a  relief;'  and  on  taking  our  anchors 
at  Montevideo  in  a  few  days  we  shall  be  homeward  bound  ! 


POSTSCRIPT. 

This  volume  has  already  been  enlarged  beyond  the  intended 
number  of  pages.  In  closing  it,  I  would  very  briefly  state  that  the 
experiment  in  naval  discipline,  with  which  the  cruise  of  the  Con- 
gress was  commenced,  previously  to  the  abolition  of  the  lash  by 
law,  was  carried  out  with  marked  and  satisfactory  success. 
This  is  mainly  to  be  attributed  to  the  unwearied  efforts,  and 
the  indefatigable  devotion  to  duty,  of  the  officers  most  in- 
terested— equally  from  motives  of  philanthropy  towards  the 
sailor,  and  a  jealous  regard  for  the  honor  of  the  navy — in  the 
result.  This  is  especially  true,  in  regard  to  Mr.  Turner  the  first 
lieutenant.  During  the  last  eighteen  months  of  the  cruise,  good 
order,  activity  in  duty,  quickness  and  skill  in  the  military  exercises 
and  naval  evolutions  of  a  man-of-war,  and  a  general  spirit  of 
contentment  were  characteristic  of  the  crew,  in  an  extraordinary 
degree.  The  frigate  entered  the  port  of  New  York  under  the 
happiest  auspices ;  and  the  conduct  of  the  men  at  the  time  the 
manner  in  which  they  left  her,  and  their  deportment  after- 
wards, were  such  as  to  challenge  the  admiration,  of  those  most 
familiar  with  such  scenes.  Intelligence  which  from  time  to  time 
has  since  reached  me,  in  regard  to  individuals  of  their  number, 
has  been  most  gratifying ;  while  there  has  not  been  wanting 
proof,  in  the  cases  of  some,  of  the  highest  results  of  the  preaching 
of  the  Grospel,  in  a  life  of  professed  and  consistent  piety. 

In  regard  to  the  countries  to  which  so  much  of  the  preceding 


426  BRAZIL   AND   LA   PLATA. 

record  refers,  little  of  material  importance  has  occurred  since  it 
was  closed.  Thirteen  of  the  States  of  the  Plata,  bordering  on 
the  rivers  Parana  and  Paraguay  and  their  tributaries,  have  be- 
come consolidated  under  a  constitutional  government,  to  the 
Presidency  of  which  General  Urquiza  is  elevated.  Buenos 
Ayres  has  pertinaciously  refused  to  enter  into  this  union ;  and 
left  to  pursue  her  own  course,  has  fallen  into  a  state  of  anarchy, 
to  which  there  appears  at  present  to  be  little  prospect  of  a  speedy 
termination.     The  same  is  the  case  with  the  Republic  of  Uraguay. 

The  condition  and  prospects  of  the  Empire  of  Brazil  are  in 
wide  contrast  with  these  republics  of  the  South.  Political  quietude 
and  order  pervade  her  widespread  dominions,  and  a  striking 
proof  is  presented  by, the  stability  of  her  government  and  her 
consequent  prosperity,  of  the  advantage  she  possesses  in  a  well- 
balanced  constitutional  monarchy.  Till  the  half-civilized  people 
of  South  America  become  more  enlightened,  intellectually  and 
morally,  and  better  instructed  in  the  true  principles  and  right 
exercise  of  republicanism,  a  fixed  and  hereditary  Executive  in 
government  is  the  only  safeguard  against  the  evils  to  which  the 
struggles,  among  ambitious  and  unscrupulous  military  aspirants, 
constantly  give  rise. 

The  few  years  past  have  witnessed  extraordinary  progress  in 
the  material  wealth,  prosperity,  and  power  of  this  Empire ;  a 
progress  attributable  to  the  stability  of  her  government ;  to  the 
necessities  of  commerce;  and  to  the  advancing  and  controlling 
civilization  of  the  times.  The  greatly  increased  demand  for  her 
principal  staple,  coffee,  as  well  as  for  many  of  her  other  im- 
portant products — India-rubber,  sugar,  cotton,  tobacco,  dye-woods, 
and  minerals — has  led  to  a  wise,  liberal,  and  widespread  system 
of  internal  improvements  and  inland  and  ocean  steam  navigation, 
for  the  development  of  the  varied  and  vast  physical  resources 
of  the  empire.  Don  Pedro  II.  has  imbibed  and  obeyed  the  spirit 
of  the  times  as  fully,  during  the  few  years  of  his  actual  reign,  and 
advanced  the  material  and  social  prosperity  of  his  country  as 
safely  and  rapidly,  as  any  ruler  living. 


POSTSCRIPT.  427 

The  importance  to  the  United  States  of  the  trade  of  Brazil 
will  hardly  be  credited  by  those  not  particularly  informed  on  the 
subject.  We  derive  from  that  empire  a  large  number  of  articles 
of  commerce  indispensable  to  us ;  and  send  to  it  many  of  the 
most  staple  and  valuable  products  of  our  agriculture  and  manu- 
factures. We  receive  from  Brazil  our  largest  supply  of  coffee, 
India-rubber,  hides,  cocoa  for  chocolate,  sarsaparilla,  and  other 
articles ;  and  in  exchange  supply  her  with  nearly  all  her  bread- 
stuffs — with  beef,  pork,  lard,  and  butter;  with  corn,  cotton 
fabrics,  the  implements  of  agriculture  and  the  arts,  with  machinery, 
and  the  manufactures  of  iron  and  wood.  This  trade  amounts  to 
nearly  nineteen  millions  of  dollars  annually ;  the  balance  against 
the  United  States  being  six  millions  paid  in  cash.  It  is  believed 
by  those  best  informed  on  the  subject,  that  the  establishment 
of  a  regular  line  of  mail  steamers  to  Brazil,  with  a  suitable 
subsidy  from  the  government  for  postal  service,  would  be  the 
means  of  doubling  the  amount  of  trade  in  the  course  of  five  years ; 
and  by  the  increased  demand  for  our  productions  arising  from 
the  facility  of  communication  and  correspondence,  would  equalize 
the  exchange,  if  not  turn  the  balance  in  our  favor.  It  is  a 
reproach  to  us,  that  for  the  want  of  direct  communication  by 
steam,  our  correspondence,  both  commercial  and  diplomatic,  with 
Eastern  South  America,  is  carried  by  English  mail  steamers, 
by  the  way  of  England,  a  distance  of  near  eight  thousand  miles. 
From  the  same  cause  the  disbursements  of  our  government  to 
its  public  agents  there,  are  made  only  at  a  heavy  percentage. 
To  place  the  salary  of  nine  thousand  dollars  in  the  hands  of  a 
charge  d'affaires  at  Rio,  costs  the  government  at  home  usually 
one  thousand  dollars,  and  the  naval  disbursements  on  that  station 
are  made  at  a  corresponding  loss. 

Aware  of  the  vast  public  and  commercial  interests  to  us 
as  a  nation  of  this  matter,  it  is  with  great  satisfaction  I  have 
learned  that  an  association  of  capitalists  of  the  city  of  New 
York,  bearing  the  name  of  the  "  North  and  South  American 
Steamship  Company,"  has  brought  the  subject  before  Congress 


428  BRAZIL   AND   LA  PLATA. 

in  a  memorial  for  aid,  in  consideration  of  mail  service,  in  the 
establishment  of  a  line  of  steamers  between  New  York  and  Para. 
It  is  proposed  to  intersect  the  several  European  lines  running  to 
Brazil  at  the  Island  of  St.  Thomas,  and  to  form  a  junction  at 
Para,  with  the  Brazilian  mail  and  passage  steamers  which  now 
regularly  coast  the  empire  a  distance  of  four  thousand  miles,  from 
the  mouth  of  the  Amazon  to  the  Bio  La  Plata.  Dr.  Bainey, 
one  of  the  gentlemen  engaged  in  this  enterprise,  has  by  personal 
research  informed  himself  fully  of  the  practicability,  under  the 
suitable  patronage  of  the  government,  of  making  this  initiatory 
line  of  steam  communication  with  Brazil  and  with  the  Plata, 
through  the  intervention  of  the  Imperial  lines,  of  incalculable 
value  to  the  commerce  and  general  interest  of  the  United 
States.  The  committee  to  whom  the  memorial  was  referred, 
have  reported  unanimously  in  favor  of  granting  the  subsidy 
solicited ;  and  there  is  reason  to  hope,  that  by  the  early  action  of 
Congress  on  the  report,  an  abiding  channel  of  friendship,  com- 
merce, and  reciprocal  good,  will  be  opened  directly  between  the 
United  States  and  Brazil  and  La  Plata. 


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being,  a  new  and  rabid  class  of  readers  has  sprung  into  existence.  Instead  of  the  genial  humor, 
the  wholesome  satire,  the  finished  style  of  that  dLstinguished  author,  we  have  pruriency,  sar- 
casm, cant,  flippancy,  and  commonplace.  Eeaders,  forty  thousand  to  a  book,  have  been  found 
to  batten  on  this  unctuous  melange,  and  the  supply  has  continued  with  unabated  malignancy. 
Imagination  and  fancy  are  alike  unknown ;  they  are  dead,  buried,  and  not  likely  to  rise  again. 
The  potency  of  a  literature  is  infallibly  tested  by  the  reminiscences  it  provokes.  An  author  who 
can  people  a  little  world  of  his  own,  with  such  beings  as  man  can  attach  himself  to,  lives  in  the 
commonplace  suggestiveness  of  the  hour." — If.  Y.  Daily  Times. 

"  The  other  writings  of  Irving  have  been  re-published  and  re-issued  over  and  over  again,  in 
all  sorts  of  editions,  and  still  the  demand  for  them  flows  on  in  a  steady  stream.  A  library  is  in- 
complete without  them.  The  name  of  Irving  has  given  lustre  to  American  letters.  He  first, 
like  the  sun,  dissipated  the  mists  of  prejudice  which  blinded  and  obscured  the  vision  of  foreigners, 
and  his  warm  and  genial  rays  first  lighted  up  the  pages  of  our  national  literature,  and  illustrated 
the  answer  to  the  sneering  inquiry,  '  Who  reads  an  American  book  ? '  He,  chief  of  all,  has  au 
English  and  Continental  lame,  while,  to  his  own  countrymen,  his  name  is  as  a  household  word. 
He  has  equally  the  love  and  respeet  of  all  his  fellow  citizens. 

"  Mr.  Irving  publishes  this  work  at  the  ripe  age  of  72.  His  literary  life  has  occupied  more 
than  half  a  century.  It  will  make  the  old  young  again  to  read  this  volume,  carrying  them  back, 
as  it  does,  to  the  early  promise  of  the  gifted  writer,  and  leading  them  along  over  the  many  years 
during  which  they  have  been  beguiled  by  his  genius,  instructed  by  his  wisdom,  and  charmed  by 
his  sunny  spirit  and  his  hearty  geniality."    *    *    *    — Rochester  American. 

"  The  golden  prose  of  Irving  has  long  since  sunk  into  the  heart  of  every  reader  of  the  English 
language.  He  is  one  of  the  rare  few  anticipating  the  verdict  of  posterity,  and  wearing,  while 
livmg,  the  laurels  of  a  classic.  And  no  wonder,  for  his  pure,  genial  sentiment,  his  clear  thought, 
his  musical  sentences,  his  graphic  words,  form  a  combination  of  qualities  that  the  whole  range  of 
English  literature  has  never  excelled.  His  style  is  transparent  as  a  brook,  showing  the  ideas  as 
clearly  as  the  crystal  element  does  its  pebbles."— J.Z&a«y  Knickerbocker. 

"  Do  we  really  appreciate  his  works  ?  The  many  pages  that  he  has  written,  each  binding 
man  more  nearly  to  his  fehow ;  the  many  sketches  that  have  caused  Nature  to  become  doubly 
endeared  to  us ;  that  have  made  the  Alhambra  live  again  in  all  its  early  glory ;  that  have  re- 
vealed to  us  the  workings  of  Columbus'  yearning  mind;  that  have  cast  an  eternal  spring  over 
the  whole  region  of  the  Hudson  ;  that  have  destroyed  more  prejudices  than  Political  Reformers 
have  revived,  and  have  purified  the  every-day  existence  of  this  doUarous  age,  we  cannot  will- 
ingly pass  unrecognized." — New  Orleans  Delta. 

"  The  library  which  does  not  contain  these  Avritings  Is  Indeed  deficient." — Gam.  Chronicle. 

"  Great  Britain,  France,  Northern  and  Southern  Europe,  are  alike  familiar  with  his  delight- 
fhl  and  most  healthful  writings,  and  doubtless  his  own  good  standing  abroad  has  done  more  than 
any  other  single  cause  to  introduce  the  names  and  works  of  others  of  our  countrymen.  There  is 
a  charm  about  his  -writings  to  which  old  and  young,  tke  educated  and  the  simple,  bear  cheerful 
•witness." — Christian  Inquirer. 

"  What  JoHNSOX  and  Addison  have  become  as  authors  to  the  students  of  all  countries.  Wash 
ington  Irving  will  follow  to  mould  and  correct  the  literary  taste  of  future  generations."— JTigfA 
land  Eagle. 


Q.  P.  Putnam  &  CoJ's  Publications, 


■WASnusTGTON-  irying's  WORKS — Continued. 


Separate  Volumes  of  Irving's  Works. 

KNICKERBOCKER'S  HISTORY  OF  NEW  YORK,  from  the 
Creation  of  tlie  World  to  the  End  of  the  Dutch  Dynasty ;  con- 
taining, among  many  Surprising  and  Curious  Matters,  the  Un- 
utterable Ponderings  of  Walter  the  Doubter,  the  Disastrous 
Projects  of  William  the  Testy,  and'the  Chivalric  Achievements 
of  Peter  the  Headstrong,  the  Three  Dutch  Governors  of  New 
Amsterdam,  being  the  only  authentic  History  of  the  Times  that 
ever  hath  been,  or  ever  will  be  published.     12mo.,  cloth,  $1  25. 

■ The  Same,  with  Darley's  Illustrations,  gilt  extra,  $2;  half 

calf,  $2  50 ;  morocco  extra,  $3  50. 

A  few  copies  remain  of  tlie  fine  edition  in  8vo.,  with  the  Illustrations 
by  Ileath,"  of  the  entrance  of  Peter  Stuy vesant's  army  into  New  Amster- 
dam, and  a  fac-simile  of  the  following  letter  from  Sir  Walter  Scott,  price 
$3  50  in  cloth,  $4  in  gilt  extra,  $6  in  morocco  extra. 

SiE  Walter  Scott  to  IIenry  Bkevooet,  Esq.,  of  New  Yorh. 
"  My  Dear  Sir, — I  beg  you  to  accept  my  best  thanks  for  the  uncommon  degree  of  entertain- 
ment which  I  have  received  from  the  most  excellently  jocose  history  of  New  York.  I  am  sen- 
sible that  as  a  stranger  to  American  parties  and  politics,  I  must  lose  much  of  the  concealed  satire 
of  the  piece,  but  I  must  own,  that  looking  at  the  simple  and  obvious  meaning  only,  I  have  never 
read  anything  so  closely  resembling  the  style  of  Dean  Swift  as  the  annals  of  Diedrich  Knicker- 
bocker. I  have  been  employed  these  few  evenings  in  reading  them  aloud  to  Mrs.  S.  and  two 
ladies  who  are  our  guests,  and  our  sides  have  been  absolutely  sore  with  laughing.  I  think,  too, 
there  are  passages  which  indicate  that  the  author  possesses  powers  of  a  different  kind,  and  has 
some  touches  which  remind  me  much  of  Sterne.  I  beg  you  will  have  the  kindness  to  let  mo 
know  when  Mr.  Irving  takes  pen  in  hand  again,  for  assuredly  I  shall  expect  a  very  great  treat. 
"  Believe  me,  dear  sir,  your  obliged  humble  servt., 

"WALTER  SCOTT" 
"  Abbotsfoed,  April  23, 1813." 

LIFE  AND  VOYAaES  OF  CHKISTOPHER   COLUMBUS, 

TO     WHICH    ARE    ADDED     THOSE    OF    HIS    COMPANIONS.        By 

Washington  Irving.     In  3  vols.  12mo.,  with  Mans,  &c.,  price 
$4  in  cloth. 

*,,,*  The  subject  of  this  work  of  course  forms  the  very  ground-work  of 
all  American  history.  No  other  Avork  can  possibly  be  its  substitute.  The 
author,  during  his  residence  in  Spain,  enjoyed  extraordinary  facilities  for 
access  to  original  materials,  and  he  has  presented  the  narrative  (so  intensely 
interesting  in  its  very  nature)  in  a  shape  eminently  rehable  for  its  con- 
scientious accuracy,  and  at  the  same  time  as  highly  attractive  to  the 
general  reader  as  the  most  skilfiil  romance. 


G.  P.  Putnam  &  Co.^s  Publications. 


■WASH1^^GT0X  ikvixg's  wokks — continued. 


THE  SKETCH  BOOK  OF  GEOFFREY  CRAYON,  Gent^ 

"  I  have  no  wife  nor  clilklren,  good  or  bad  to  provide  for,  A  mere  spectator  of  other  men's 
fortunes  and  adventures,  and  how  they  play  their  parts;  which,  methinks,  are  diversely  pre- 
sented to  me,  as  from  a  common  theatre  or  scene." — Burton. 

CONTENTS. 

Author's  Account  of  Himself— The  Voyage— Roscoe — The  Wife — Rip  Van 
"Winkle — English  Writers  on  America — Rural  Life  in  England — The 
Broken  Heart — Art  of  Book-Making — A  Royal  Poet — The  Country 
Church — The  Widow  and  her  Son — A  Sunday  in  London — The  Boar's 
Head  Tavern — The  Mutability  of  Literature — Rural  Funerals — The 
Inn  Kitchen  —  The  Spectre  Bridegroom — Westminster  Abbey  — 
Christmas — The  Stage  Coach — Christmas  Eve — Christmas  Day — 
Christmas  Dinner — London  Antiques — Little  Britain — Stratford-on- 
Avon — Traits  of  Indian  Character — Pliilip  of  Pokanoket — John  Bull 
—The  Pride  of  the  Village— The  Angler— The  Legend  of  Sleepy  Hol- 
low— L'Envoi. 

The  Authoe's  Revised  Edition,  complete  in  one  vol.  12mo.,  cloth, 
$1  25 ;  gilt  extra,  with  illustrations  by  Darley,  $2  25 ;  the  same,  half  calf 
extra,  $2  50 ;  the  same,  morocco  extra,  $3  50. 

*^*  A  few  copies  remain  of  the  larger  edition,  with  fine  portrait  on 
steel,  royal  8vo.,  price,  cloth,  $3  50 ;  gilt  ext.,  $-i;  Turkey  mor.  ext.,  $6. 

BRACEBRIDGE    HALL;    or,   The  Humorists.      A   Medley. 
12mo.,  cloth,  $1  25. 

*^*  Descriptive  of  rural  life  and  holiday  customs  in  England,  and 
adorned  with  entertaining  narratives. 


TALES  OF  A  TRAVELLER.     12mo.,  cloth,  U  25. 

, The  Same,  with  Barley's  Illustrations,  gilt  extra,  $2  25 ; 

half  calf  extra,  $2  50  ;  morocco  extra,  $3  60. 

A  few  copies  remain  of  the  larger  edition,  illustrated,  royal  8vo.,  cloth, 
$3  50 ;  gilt  extra,  $4  ;  morocco  extra,  $4. 

ASTORIA ;  or,  Anecdotes  of  an  Enterprise  beyond  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  By  Washington  Irving.  With  a  Map.  2  vols, 
complete  in  1  vol.,  ^2mo.,  $1  50. 

*^*  This  volume  contains  a  narrative  of  the  exciting  adventures  con- 
nected with  the  first  exploration  of  the  wilderness  of  Oregon,  and  the  first 
pettlements  on  the  Pacific. 


G.  P.  Futnam  &  Co.^s  Publications. 


wAsniNGTON  ieving's  WORKS — continuecL. 


THE  CRAYON  MISCELLANY. 

*5^*  This  volume  comprises  the  Toue  ox  the  Prairies,  and  tho  Visits 
TO  Arbotsford  and  Newstead  Abbey.     12rao,,  cloth,  $1  25. 

THE  ADVENTURES  OF  C APT.  BONNEVILLE  in  the  Rocky 

Mountains  and  the  Far  West.  Digested  from  his  Journal, 
and  illustrated  from  various  other  Sources.  Author's  revised 
edition,  complete  in  1  vol.     With  a  Map.     $1  25. 

OLIVER    GOLDSMITH:    A  Biography.      Complete  in  1  vol. 

12mo.,  $1  25. 

The  Same,  gilt  ext.,  with  illustrations,  $2 ;  half  calf,  $2  50 ; 

mor.  ext.,  $3  50. 

A  lew  copies  remain  of  the  large  edition,  8vo.,  cloth,  $2  50 ;  gilt  extra, 
$3  ;   mor.  ext.,  $5. 

MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS.     Complete  in  2  vols 

12mo.,  $2  50. 

The  Same,  half  calf,  $4. 

•'The  aim  of  the  writer  has  been  to  digest  into  an  easy,  perspicuous,  and  flowing  nan-ative, 
the  admitted  facts  concerning  Mahoin';t,  together  with  sucli  legends  and  traditions  as  have  been 
wrought  into  tlie  whole  system  of  oriental  literature,  and  at  the  same  time  to  give  such  a  sum- 
mary of  liis  faith  as  might  be  sufficient  for  the  general  reader." — Extract  from  Preface. 

"  Those  who  read  thc-life  of  Mahomet  will  find  in  the  following  pages  most  of  their  old  ac- 
quaintances again  engaged,  but  in  a  vastly  grander  held  of  action;  leading  armies,  subjugating 
empires,  and  dictating  from  the  palaces  and  thrones  of  deposed  monarchs." — -£"£0^.  Preface  to 
'■•  Mahomefs  Successors." 


CHRONICLE  OF  THE  CONQUEST  OF  GRENADA.    From 

the  MSS.  of  Fray  Antonio  Agapida.     12mo.,  cloth,  $1  25. 

"He  has  availed  himself  of  all  the  picturesque  and  animating  movements  of  this  romantic 
era.  *  *  *  *  The  fictitious  and  romantic  dress  of  the  work  has  enabled  him  to  make  it  tho 
medium  of  reflecting  more  vividly  the  floating  opinions  and  chimerical  flmcies  of  the  age,  while 
he  has  illuminated  the  picture  with  the  dramatic  brilliancy  of  coloring  denied  to  sober  bisUtry.'' 
— Pbescott's  Ferdinand  and  Isabella. 

THE  ALHAMBRA.     12mo.,  $1  25. 

The  Same,  with  Darley's  Illustrations,  gilt  ext.,  $2 ;  half 

calf,  $2  50 ;  morocco  extra,  $3  50. 


G.  P.  Putnam  (^  Co^s  Pubh cations. 


A  Great  National  Wovy.  for  every  American, 

THE  ILLTJSTKATED  EDITION  OF 

IRYING'S   LIFE   OF   WASHINGTON 

G.  P.  Putnam  &  Co.  are  now  publishing  a  new  edition  of  this  great 
work,  in  semi-monthly  parts,  price  25  cents  eacli.  Each  volume  will  con- 
sist of  14  Parts,  handsomely  printed  In  Imperial  8vo.  The  whole  work 
will  be  illustrated  by  about  80  superior  Engravings  on  steel,  including  Por- 
traits and  original  Historical  Designs,  by  eminent  Artists,  with  numerous 
Woodcuts  and  Maps.  Each  Part  will  contain  at  least  32  pages  and  one 
Engraving  on  Steel :  every  other  part  will  have  two  Steel  Plates. 

TERMS    OP    PUBLICATION  I 

1.  Each  semi-monthly  Part,  coiitaniing  as  above  specified,  25  cents,  payable  on  delivery. 

2.  All  subscribers  must  encage  to  take  the  entire  work. 

8.  Tlie  second  and  subsequent  volumes  Avill  be  issued  in  double  parts— and  the  whole  will  bo 
published  at  regular  intervals  of  two  weeks. 

Among  the  Illustrations  already  engraved  or  nearly  completed,  are  the  following : — 

POETEAITS. 

Gen,  ScHiTiTLER,  Gen.  La  Fayette,  George  Clinton, 

Gen.  Pdtnam,  Gen.  Count  Pulaski,  Robert  Morris, 

Gen.  Arnold,  Gen.  Lincoln,  Gen.  Stark, 

Gen.  Greene,  Gen.  Mercer,  Gen.  Hamilton, 

Gen.  Ward,  Gen.  Burgoyne,  Gen.  Gates, 

Gen.  Knox,  Gen.  Chas.  Lee,  Gen.  Glover, 

Gen.  Montgomery,  Gen.  Henry  Lee,  Gen.  Sir  Wm.  Howe, 

Gen.  St.  Clair,  Col.  Moultrie,  Gen.  Sir  Henry  Clinton, 

Gen.  Lord  Stirling,  Col.  W.  Washington,  Gen.  Lord  Cornwallis. 

Gen.  Bx\ron  Steuben,         Gen  Wayne, 

Wasiiingtox,  from  the  Picture  by  Peale.  Wasiiixoton,  from  Brow7is  Statue. 

Washington,  from  the  Picture  by  Trumlmll.  "Washington,  from  Original  Profile. 

Washington,  from  the  Picture  by  Wertmuller.  Mrs.  Washington,  (early  Portrait.) 

Washington,  from  tl)e  Picture  by  Stuart.  Mrs.  Washington,  from  Stuart. 

Washington,  from  Houdon's  Bust.  '     Miss  Puillipse,  from  Original  Picture. 
"Washington  from  Jloudoii's  Statue. 

ILLUSTRATIONS    ON  STEEL. 
Historical  Scenes,  chiefly  from  Original  Designs. 

Site  of  Washington's  Birth-Place,      Fort  Ticonderoga.  Announcement  of  Indepen- 
Moiint  "Vernon  (Three  Views.)         Lake  George.  dence. 

Washington  as  a  Surveyor.  Fortifications  at  West  Point  Battle  of  Trenton. 

Washington  at  Fort  Necessity.  in  ITSii,  (from  a  contem-  B.ittle  of  Germantown. 

Washington  Surveying  the  l)is-  porar}' drawing.)  Battle  of  Monmouth. 

mal  .-^wamp.  Washington  Quelling  a  Plot  Braddock's  HaUle  Field. 

Washington  at  Winchester.  View  of  New  York.  1T76.  Washington   going  to  Con- 

Washington's  Field  Si)orts.  Boston     from     Dorchester  gi-ess. 

Fortifying  Bunker's  llill.  Heights  in  1776.  &c.  &c.  &c. 

"This  must  always  remain,  ^^ar  eminence,  the  history  of  the  Father  of  his  country." 

Fhiladelplda  Bulletin. 

N.  B.  It  is  intended  that  the  Illustrations  in  this  edition  shall  be  wor- 
thy of  the  subject  and  of  the  author.  The  best  artists  have  been  engaged 
to  make  original  drawings,  and  the  most  eminent  engravers  are  .secured. 
No  expense  will  be  spared  to  make  the  engravings  creditable  to  Am.erican 
art,  and  full}^  satisfactory  to  amateurs  of  fastidious  taste. 

This  edition  is  published  exclusively  for  subscribers.  Now  is  the  time  to  subscribe.  Price 
25  cents  per  Part.  The  Parts  can  be  delivered  every  Aveek,  or  every  fortnight,  as  desired:  and 
this  splendid  work  is  thus  placed  xcithin  the  reach  of  Hie  'people  at  large. 


G.  P.  Putnam  &  Co.'s  Publications. 


WASHINGTON"  iRvrisrG's  WORKS — continued. 


THE  LIFE  OF  aEORQE  WASHINaTON.  By  Washington 
Irvd^g.  Of  the  Octavo  Edltioriy  (published  by  subscription 
onlyj,  Three  volumes  are  now  ready,  each  containing  about  500 
pages,  elegantly  printed  with  new  pica  type,  on  fine  paper. 
Subscription  price  per  vol.  in  cloth,  $2 ;  sheep  extra,  $2  50 ; 
half  calf  extra,  $3  25  ;  calf  extra,  $4. 

The  first  volume  contains  a  fine  portrait  from  an  original  picture  by 
Wertmiiller  (now  first  engraved),  and  three  maps  and  plans. 

The  second  volume  contains  Peat-e's  portrait  of  Washington  (the  ear- 
liest), at  the  age  of  40,  with  maps  and  plans. 

The  third  volume  contains  an  engraving  from  Houdon's  statue  of 
Washington  at  Richmond,  and  a  splendid  engraving  carefully  copied  from 
Stuart's  original  picture  of  Washington,  in  the  Boston  Athenaeum. 


LIFE  OF  WASHINGTON.  Duodecimo  Edition.  3  vols,  pub- 
lished, uniform  with  his  other  works,  with  Portrait.  Price 
%1  50  per  vol. 

"  A  work  which  will  take  its  place  in  American  households  side  by  side  with  the  Bible." — 


"  It  was  peculiarly  fitting  tliat  the  brightest  name  in  history  should  have  put  in  requisition, 
for  its  commemoration,  one  of  the  most  gifted  and  accomplished  sons  of  literature.  Washington 
Irving,  wliose  literary  fame  scarcely  knows  a  bound,  has,  for  many  years,  been  occupied  upon 
this  work,  the  first  volume  of  which  we  have  now  the  pleasure  to  announce.  It  has  been  ela- 
borated with  great  patience  and  care;  and  is  not  more  remarkable  for  its  exquisite  grace  and 
beauty  of  style,  than  for  the  richness  of  its  biographical  and  historical  detads.  The  present 
volume  relates  to  that  portion  of  his  life  which  preceded  the  period  of  the  Kevolution,  and  during 
which  he  may  be  considered  as  having  had  his  training  for  that  great  enterprise  whicli  at  once 
rendered  his  name  immortal,  and  marked  a  new  and  glorious  ep  )ch  in  the  history  of  the  race. 
It  contains  much  that  has  not  found  its  way  into  any  previous  life  of  Washington  ;  nnd  even  if  it 
had  been  nothing  more  than  the  old  material,  moulded  over  by  that  gracei'ul  mind  that  lends 
enchantment  to  every  thing  it  touches,  it  would  still  have  been  justly  regarded  as  a  bright  gem 
in  our  literature." — Puritan  Recorder. 

"  Before  making  any  extracts  from  the  work.  We  cannot  but  express  our  satisfaction  at  its 
final  comi)letion.  Its  publication  will  form  an  important  epoch  in  American  literature,  The 
life-long  labors  of  its  illustrious  author  could  not  have  been  crowned  with  a  more  appropriate  ter- 
minati^in.  His  name  will  henceforth  be  indissolubly  connected  with  that  of  Washington,  not 
only  by  his  baptismal  appellation,  but  by  the  noble  monument  which  he  has  reared  to  his 
memory.  It  was  a  befitting  tiisk  that  the  writer  who  has  left  such  a  brilliant  impress  of  his 
genius  on  the  nascent  literature  of  hia  country — whoso  fame  is  devoutly  cherished  in  the  hearts 
of  the  American  people — held  in  equally  alfectionate  remembrance  in  the  rude  cabins  of  the  fron- 
tier, the  halls  of  universities,  and  the  saloons  of  fashionable  life — whose  successes  in  the  varied 
walks  of  classical  composition  have  done  as  much  to  illustrate  the  character  of  America  ir  the 
eye  of  the  world  as  the  eloquence  of  hi^r  senators  or  her  prowess  in  arm.s — should  create  a  per- 
manent memorial  of  Washington  in  a  style  worthy  the  dignity  of  the  subject  and  the  reputation 
of  the  author." — Gazette.,  Reading.,  Pa. 

'  It  is  evident  that  the  author  has  not  only  carefully  investigated  a  vast  amount  of  original 


10  G.  F.  Palnam  (t  Co.'s  Publications. 


vTASiiiXGTON"  irttxg's  woeks — coTitinucd. 

materials  to  which  few  persons  could  have  had  access,  but  that  he  also  has  devoted  many  years  to 
a  most  congenial  subject,  lu  justice  to  the  publishers  we  may  state,  that  the  work  has  been  got 
up  in  a  style  well  worthy  of  its  subject." — Eoening  BaUeUn,  Phila. 

'•  The  time  for  representing  Washington  as  a  statue  or  a  man  of  iron  has  gone  by.  He  begins 
to  be  known  as  a  man  of  immense  passion,  of  the  tenderest  as  well  as  strongest  family  affections, 
and  (>f  the  most  unaffected  domesticity  of  taste.  .  .  .  Ail  that  -patient  and  comprehensive  re- 
search can  do,  Mr.  Irving  has  Aone.'"— Christian  Inquirer. 

"  This  may  be  said  to  be  the  only  life  of  Washington  over  written.  Irving  has  thrown  around 
his  stor}'-  the  irraces  of  his  brilliant  style,  and  imparted  a  variety  to  his  pages  which  never  sulfers 
the  interest  of  his  readers  to  flag.  His  work  is  a  real,  solid  acquisition  to  the  living  literature  oi 
the  a2e.  and  will  take  its  place  among  those  favored  few  which  will  go  down  to  posterity." — Pitts- 
burg/i,  Gazette. 

"This  is  the  life  of  Washington  that  will  be  read,  others  hereafter  will  only  be  referred  to." — 
N.  Y.  Courier  <&  Enquirer. 

"Every  sentence  is  stamped  with  the  individuality  of  genius." — BaUou's  Pictorial. 

"  It  is,  in  short,  a  model  biography,  and  will  meet  with  a  hearty  welcome  from  all  classes." — 
K  E.  Farmer. 


New  Scries  of  Irving's  "Works. 

WOLFEFvT'S  ROOST,  and  Other.  Papers.  Now  first  collected. 
By  Washington  Irving.     12mo.,  $1  25  ;  gilt  extra,  $1  75. 

"Washington  Irving,  dear,  kind-hearted,  clever  Washington  Irving,  'the  idol  of  my  youth, 
the  darling  of  my  manhood,'  he,  who  under  many  names  Geoffrey  Crayon.  Diedrich  Knicker- 
bocker, &c. — has  '  tickled  the  town.'  as  Byron  said  of  Moore,  is  once  more  beftire  us  ;  and  his  new 
volume,  '  Wolfert's  Koost,'  and  other  papers,  bear  evidence  of  ail  that  sv>'ectness  of  mind  antl 
versatility  of  talent  which  have  captivated  thousands  of  readers." — Lomlon  Chronicle. 

"In  leaving  this  attrac  ivo  volume,  we  cordially  recommend  it  to  tlie  lovers  of  pure,  elevated, 
and  warm-hearted  literature.  To  the  literal  it  commends  itself  for  the  completeness,  closeness, 
and  elegance  of  its  style." — N.  Y.  Daily  Times. 

"  There  is  as  much  elegance  of  diction,  as  graceful  a  description  of  natural  scenery,  as  gro- 
tesque an  earnestness  in  diablerie,  and  as  qnietbut  as  telling  a  satiric  humor,  as  when  Geoffrey 
Crayon  first  came  before  the  world  nearly  forty  years  ago  " — London  Spectator. 

"  It  would  not  be  easy  to  overpraise  this  volume." — London  Athenceum.     , 

THE  CRAYON  READING  BOOK,  Comprising  Selections  from 
tlie  various  writings  of  Washington  Irving,  for  the  use  of  Schools. 
12mo.,  half  bound,  75  cents. 

"A  book  to  make  the  young  observant  and  kind-hearted." — Lit.  World. 

The  selections  are  admirable  models  of  a  lucid,  ctia.ste,  and  elegant  style.  We  are  grateful,  by 
means  of  this  volume,  to  be  able  to  place  in  the  hands  of  our  young  readers  the  gems  of  the  most 
popular  and  gifted  author  of  the  day." — From  the  Misses  Sedgwick. 

TALES  OF  THE  HUDSON:  Comprising  Rip  Van  Winkle— Le- 
gend of  Sleepy  Hollow — Guests  from  Gibbet  Island— Dolph 
Heyliger — Wolfert  Webber — Peter  Stuyvesant's  Voyage  u^  the 
Hudson,  &c.     16mo.,  plates,  price  50  cents. 

"One  of  the  most  delightful  works  in  the  language." — Boston  Transcript. 

"Summer  tourists  on  the  Hudson  can  find  no  pleasanter  companion  than  this. 

"  The  man  is  to  be  envied  who,  witli  a  summer  day  before  him,  embarks  on  one  of  the  floating 
palaces  of  the  river,  with  this  choice  volume  for  his  compani(m,  as  he  is  borne  along  the  ample 
breadth  of  the  Tappati  Sea,  by  the  walls  of  the  Pillsades,  or  threads  the  grand  defiles  of  the  High- 
lands, ho  will  be  put  in  a  mood  for  the  most  exquisite  enjoyment  of  book  and  landscape,  as  he 
glances  from  one  to  the  other." — Lit.  World. 


G.  P.  Futnam  <&  Co^^s  Publications. 


11 


FENIMOKE  COOPEE. 


THE  NOVELS  AND  TALES  OF  J.  FENIMORE  COOPEK. 

New  Library  Edition,  complete. 


Emlracing^ 


Last  of  the  MohiDxIns, 

Pioneers, 

Deerslayer, 

Path-Finder, 

Prairie, 

The  Oak  Openings, 

Wept  of  Wish-ton- Wish, 

Ned  Myers, 

Spy, 

Kedskins, 

Pilot, 

Mercedes  of  Castile, 

Wing  and  Wing, 

monikins, 

Lionel  Lincoln, 

Bravo, 

Pekcaution, 


Homeward  Bound,. 
The  Chain-Bearer, 
Afloat  and  Ashore, 
Miles  Wallingford, 
Home  as  Found, 
The  Crater, 
Two  Admirals, 
Headsman, 
Satanstoe, 
Heidenmauer, 
Water  Witch, 
Jack  Tier, 
Eed  Rover, 
The  Sea  Lions, 
Wyandotte, 
Travelling  Bacheloe, 
Ways  of  the  Hour. 


Complete  in  34  vols.  12mo.,  neatly  bound  in  embossed  muslin,  $34;  sheep, 
library  style,  marble  edges,  $37  50 ;  half  roan,  $28  ;  half  calf,  $50  j 
half  Turkey,  $50;  half  calf,  gilt  backs,  $55;  half  calf  antique,  $55. 
%*  Each  of  the  above  may  bo  had  separately  price  $1  in  cloth. 

"The  enrlurlug  monuments  of  Feniinore  Cooper  are  his  works.  While  the  love  of  country 
continues  to  prevail,  his  memory  will  exist  in  the  hearts  of  the  people.  *  *  *  So  truly  pa- 
triotic and  American  throughout,  they  should  find  a  place  in  every  American's  library." — Daniel 
Webster. 

'•  No  one  has  succeeded  like  Cooper  in  the  portraiture  of  American  character,  or  has  given  such 
glowing  and  truthful  pictures  of  American  scenery."— W.  II.  Prescott. 

"  He  wrote  for  mankind  at  large;  hence  it  is  that  he  has  earned  a  fame  wider  than  any  author 
of  modern  times.  The  creations  of  his  genius  shall  survive  through  centuries  to  come,  and  only 
perish  with  our  language."— \V.  C.  Bryant. 

"  His  surpassing^ability  has  made  his  own  name,  and  the  names  of  the  creations  of  his  fancy, 
'household  words'  throughout  the  civilized  world."— Geo.  Bancroft. 

"  The  works  of  our  great  riovelist  have  adorned  and  elevated  our  literature." — ^Edw.  Everett. 

"  Cooper  emphatically  belongs  to  the  nation.  Ho  has  left  a  space  in  our  literature  which  will 
not  easily  be  supplied."— Wasuington  Irving. 

THE  LEATHER-STOCKING  TALES.  Comprising  Last  of  the  Mohi- 
cans, Pioneers,  Deerslayer,  Pathfinder,  Prairie.  In  uniform 
binding,  containing  extra  title-pages,  printed  in  red  and  black,  on 
superior  paper,  in  live  elegant  volumes.  Neatly  bound  in  embossed 
cloth,  $5  ;  in  half  Turkey  or  half  calf,  $7  50. 

THE  SEA  TALES.  Comprising  The  Pilot,  The  Red  Rover,  The  Two 
Admirals,  Wing  and  Wing,  Water  Witch.  Uniform  with  the 
Leather-Stocking  Series,  containing  extra  title-pages,  printed  in  red 
and  black,  on  superior  paper,  in  five  elegant  volumes.  Neatly  bound 
in  embossed  cloth,  $5  ;  in  half  Turkey  or  half  calf,  $7  60. 


12 


(x.  P.  Putnam  ^  Co/s  Publications. 


A  NEW  LIBRAKY  EDITION  OF  COOPER  S  CHOICE  WORKS. 


CHOICE  WORKS  OF  J.  FENIMORE  COOPER, 

In  Twenty  Duodecimo  Volumes^  extra  size. 

In  newly  stereotyping  this  Edition,  extraordinary  pains  have  been 
taken  to  produce  a  most  perfect  specimen  of  tYpo.2:raphy,  and  the  most 
scrupulous  care  has  been  observed  in  the  reproduction  of  the  text,  which 
has  the  Author's  latest  additions  and  corrections,  besides  his  new  Intro- 
ductions, Notes,  &c. 

*^*  The  Works  of  Cooper,  while  their  illustrious  author  was  alive, 
were  acknowledged,  in  other  countries,  to  be  the  finest  examples  of  Amer- 
ican genius,  and  the  noblest  as  well  as  the  truest  exhibitions  of  American 
intellect  and  feeling.  At  home,  personal  and  partisan  influences  prevented 
the  universal  recognition  of  their  extraordinary  and  peculiar  merits.  But 
all  prejudices  and  asperities  being  buried  in  the  grave,  the  people  have  dis- 
pa-^sionately  examined  the  claims  of  "  our  great  national  novelist,''  and  their 
applause  is  awarded  in  acclamations.  Never,  in  the  proudest  day  of  his 
life,  was  he  so  popular.  Not  a  month  has  passed  since  the  close  of  his 
splendid  career,  in  which  the  general  demand  for  his  writings  has  not  in- 
creased ;  and  now,  through  all  the  Union  it  is  as  well  understood  that  the 
works  of  Cooper  should  constitute  a  portion  of  the  Family  Library,  as  in 
Spain,  that  every  reader  should  possess  Cervantes ;  or  in  Germany,  that 
Goethe,  or  in  England,  that  Shakspeare,  should  be  familiar  in  every  culti- 
vated household.  Although  much  of  this  popularit}^  is  undoubtedly  owing 
to  their  decided  and  intelligent  nationality ;  yet,  perhaps  as  much  results 
from  the  just  conviction  that  no  other  author,  so  eminent  in  his  depart- 
ment, has  ever  before  been  so  uniformly  pure  in  morals  and  elevated  in 
sentiment.  No  other  body  of  romance,  in  any  language,  is  so  healthful  and 
invigorating.     This  collection  comprises — 


8.  Lionel  Lincoln, 

9.  Red  Rover, 

10.  The  Wept  of  Wish- 

ton- Wish, 

11.  The  Water- Witch, 

12.  The  Bravo, 

13.  The  Headsman. 


14.  Homeward  Bound, 

15.  Home  as  Found, 

16.  The  Two  Admirals, 

17.  Wing  and  Wing, 

18.  VVyandotte, 
19    Jack  Tier, 

20.  The  Sea  Lions. 


1.  The  Spy,      • 

2.  The  Deicrslayer, 

3.  Last  of  the  Mohi- 
cans, 

4.  The  Pathfinder, 

5.  The  Pioneers, 

6.  The  Prairie, 

7.  The  Pilot, 

W.  B.  Thin  Edition  will  only  Tje  furnished  in  uniform  Coinplete  Sets;  in  no  case  will  the 
Sets  be  broken. 

The  above  twenty  volumes,  comprising  the  Fine  Edition  of  Cooper's 
Choice  Works,  are  bound  with  great  care,  in  a  superior  manner,  after 
patterns  of  elegance  and  neatness,  in  the  following  popular  and  attractive 
styles: 


Embossed  muslin,  the  se',  20  volumes,  $25  00 
^lieep.  best  Library  style,  marble  edge,  80  00 
Half  Turkey,         .  .  .  .    40  00 

Half  Calf,  ....  4000 

Half  Calf,  fall  gilt  backs,  .  .    44  00 

Half  Calf,  antique,     .  .  .  44  00 


Full  Calf,             ....  $50  00 

Full  Calf,  extra,  gilt  backs,            .  64  00 

Full  Calf,  antique,           .            .            .  54  00 

Full  Turkey,  gilt  tops,          .            .  56  00 

Super  Calf,  extra,  gilt  edges,     .           .  60  00 

Super  Turkey,  extra,  gilt  edges,     .  60  00 


Q.  P.  Putnam  &  Co.^s  Publications.  13 


THEODORE  rRVING. 


THE    CONQUEST  OF  FLORIDA  BY  DE  SOTO.     By  Prof. 

Theodore  Irving.  Author's  Revised  Edition.  (Uniform  with 
the  Collective  Edition  of  Washington  Irving's  Works.)  l2mo., 
cloth,  with  a  Map,  $1  25. 

"  Tliis  is  an  important  chapter  in  the  early  history  of  tliis  country.  The  subject,  too,  is  one  of 
considerable  interest  to  the  general  reader.  Besides  the  historical  value  which  the  work  pos- 
sesses, it  contains  portions  of  as  exciting  interest  as  any  romantic  fictioa." — Cambridge  Ghron. 

*-;.*  Tliis  volume  is  eminently  worthy  of  a  place  in  every^good  library 
by  the  side  of  Prescott's  Mexico  and  Peru.  The  adventures  of  De  Soto 
and  his  followers  in  the  regions  now  known  as  Florida,  Alabama,  Louisi- 
ana, &c. — the  discovery  of  the  Mississippi,  under  whose  waters  the  chival- 
ric  leader  found  his  grave — and  the  various  romantic  incidents  connected 
with  the  expedition,  render  it  a  highly  entertaining  chapter  of  early  Ameri- 
can history,  winch  no  other  work  supplies. 


HON.  J.  P.  KENNEDY'S  WRITINGS,  Viz. : 

Swallow  Barn,  (illustrated.)  Horse-Shoe  Robinson,  (with  Vig- 
nettes.) Rob  of  the  Bowl,  (with  portrait  on  steel.)  Complete 
in  3  vols.  12mo.,  cloth,  $4  ;  half  calf  extra,  %1  50. 

*^*  These  works  have  taken  the  same  relative  place  in  American  litera- 
ture as  that  occupied  by  the  historical  fictions  of  Scott  in  the  literature  of 
England,  and  they  worthily  fill  a  place  by  the  side  of  Irving  and  Cooi)er. 


Separate  Works. 

SWALLOW  BARN:   A  Sojourn  in  the  Old  Dominion.      With 
Illustrations  by  Strother.     Large  12mo.,  cloth,  $1  50. 

"We  have  always  regarded  Swallow  Barn  as  one  of  the  very  highest  efforts  of  American 
mind.  It  is  exquisi.ely  written,  and  the  scenes  are  vividly  described.  Its  features  of  Virginia 
life  and  manners  are  the  best  ever  drawn.   This  is  eminently  a  splendid  edition."— jf/OMisu.  Jour. 

HORSE-SHOE    ROBINSON:     A   Tale  of  the   Tory  Ascen- 
dency.    Author's  Revised  Edition.      Complete  in  1  vol.  large 
12mo.,  %\  50. 
*^*  This  work  is  founded  on  actual  facts  connected  with  the  annals  of 
Virginia  and  South  Carolina.     The  events  have  been  thus  chronicled,  "  be- 
cause they  intrinsically  possess  interest "  for  the  lovers  of  adventure,  and 
because  "  they  serve  to  illustrate  the  temper  and  character  of  the  war  of 
our  Revolution,"  and  to  bring  out  more  vividly  than  political  history  can 
do,  its  varied,  romantic,  and  picturesque  features.     The  volume  comprises 
adventures  of  great  interest,  yet  in  strict  accordance  with  historic  truth. 

ROB  OF  THE  BOWL.     12mo.,  with  fine  portraits,  $1  25. 

*^*  A  romance  illustrative  of  the  early  colonial  history  of  Maryland 
under  the  Oalverts. 


14  G.  P.  Putnam  &  Co.  a  ^publications. 


BAYAED  TAYLOS. 

TRAVELS  IN  VARIOUS   PARTS   OF  THE  WORLD.     By 

Bayard  Taylor.      With  plates,  5  vols.  12mo.,  cloth,  $6  50 ; 
half  calf,  $12  50  ;  calf  extra,  $15. 

THE  TRAVELS  AND  POEMS.  New  edition,  complete  in  6 
vols.  12mo.,  uniformly  bound  in  cloth,  $8  ;  half  calf,  $15  ;  calf 
extra,  $18. 


Separate  Voloinies. 

VIEWS  AFOOT;  or,  Europe  Seen  with  Knapsack  and  Staff. 
By  Bayard  Taylor.  Twentieth  edition,  revised  and  newly 
stereotyped  throughout.     12mo.,  cloth,  $1  25. 

"  There  4fl  a  freshness  and  force  in  the  book  altogether  unusual  in  a  book  of  travels.  *  *  * 
As  a  text  book  for  travellers,  the  work  is  essentially  valuable ;  it  tells  how  much  can  be  accom- 
plished with  very  limited  means,  when  energy,  curiosity,  and  a  love  of  adventure  are  the 
prompters ;  sympathy  in  his  success,  likewise,  is  another  source  of  interest  to  the  book.'" — Union 
Magazine. 

"This  is  a  capital  book  in  whichever  way  it  is  considered,  brimful  of  instruction.  Among 
tlie  hundred  volumes  already  issued  on  the  subject,  Mr.  Bayard  Taylor's  seems  to  us  altogether 
the  best  and  liveliest.  Not  only  does  he  possess  an  open  mind,  he  has  also  a  discerning  eye,  and 
a  neat  hand  at  description.  There  is  nothing  more  graphic  in  Defoe.  It  is  an  excetlent  and  a 
lively  book." — Athenteum, 

ELDORADO  ;  or,  Adventures  in  California  and  Mexico.  New 
edition,  complete  in  1  volume  12mo.,  with  Illustrations,  price 
$1  25. 

"These  volumes  relate  most  striking  and  novel  adventures,  and  cannot  f\iil  to  be  eminently 
•popular  " — Commercial  Advertiser. 

'■•They  contain  the  most  authentic,  sparkling  and  best  printed  information  and  adventure  yet 
pnhlishecL''''— Literary  World. 

THE  LANDS  OF  THE  SARACEN;  or.  Pictures  of  Pales- 
tine, Asia  Minor,  Sicily,  and  Spain.  With  a  Map  and 
Vignettes.     l2mo.,  $1  25. 

"  It  is  not  often  our  privilege  to  read  so  delightful  a  book  as  this.  *  *  What  a  treat  for  the 
holidays!  *  *  What  a  fresimess  pervades  every  page— how  full  of  life  and  beauty  is  every  pic- 
ture !  "—JV.  Y.  Bail!/  JVe^oi. 

"There  is  something  delightful  and  fascinating  in  Bayard  Taylor's  books— having  its  origin 
chiefly  in  their  fresh  unhackneyed  style.  *  *  *  His  descriptive  powers  are  remarkable.' — 
2/.  Y.  JJi.spatch. 

"The  narratives  of  no  triveller  of  modem  times  have  proved  more  interesting  and  in- 
slructive  tiuin  those  of  Bayanl  Tiiylor.''^— Newark  Whiff. 

"Kxqiiisile  pictures  of  oriental  life  everywhere  embellish  the  narrative,  whi'.h  carries  the 
reader  along  without  the  sliglitest  sense  of  fatigue  or  ennui." — Charleston  {S.  C.)  font. 

"Better  f)ictures  of  oriental  lil'e  aiul  scenery  than  he  gives  are  not  to  be  found  in  the  English 
languace.  Certainly  if  any  are  to  be  found  which  enable  us  to  heboid  "  with  a  clearer  inward 
pye  the  hills  of  Palestine,  the  Sun-gilded  Minarets  of  Damascus,  (  the  lovely  pine  forests  of 
Phrygia,"  they  have  not  been  placed  within  our  x^^'Mh.''— Michigan  Christian  Herald. 


V. 


G.  JP.  Pyinam  &  Goh  Publications.  15 


BAYARD    TAYLOR V  WORKS — Contilllicd. 


A  JOUHNEY  TO  CENTKAL  AFRICA  ;  or,  Life  and  Land- 
scapes FROM  Egypt  to  the  Negro  Kingdoms  of  the  White 
Nile.     With  a  Map  and  Illustrations  bytlie  Author.  l2mo., 

$1  50. 

"  He  writes  eloquently,  easily,  and  with  a  vivid  feeling  for  the  picturesque  ;  he  has  a  lively 
sense  of  humor  and  does  not  indulge  it  too  much  ;  and  best  of  all,  he  can  feel  sincere  enthusiasm 
for  the  beautiful  in  nature  and  art,  and  is  not  ashamed  to  own  it."  *  "'  * — London  Leader. 

"  It  is  very  rarely  our  good  fortune  to  meet  with  such  a  delightful  book  of  travel ;  it  comes 
with  all  the  freshness  of  reality,  and  makes  us  long  to  pack  a  portmanteau,  put  Mr.  Taylor's 
book  in  our  pockets  and  set  oflt'by  express  train  for  the  land  of  the  pyramids.  *  *  *  Witli  this 
bcafitifui  passage  we  must  leave  a  book  which  has  compensated  many,  many  weary  hours  in 
reviewing  the  commonplace  jiroductions  of  the  day." — London  Atlas 

"If  it  were  possible  to  add  any  thing  to  the  fascination  which  attracts  so  many  travellers  to 
the  banks  of  tlie  Nile,  this  volume  would  do  it." — London  Daily  News. 

"As  a  vivid  delineator,  it  would  be  difficult  to  overmatch  Mr.  Taylor." — Liv.  Standard. 

"lie  proceeds  by  the  Nubian  Desert  and  the  White  Nile  to  Khartoun,  penetrates  to  the 
populous  Negro  Kingdom  of  the  "Shillocks,"  having  reached  a  point  of  Central  Africa  beyond 
which  modern  explorers  have  hitherto  failed  to  penetrate." — London  Review. 

"Treading  for  the  most  part  on  unhackneyed  ground,  he  has  produced  a  volume  as  fresh 
aufl  original  as  it  is  brilliant,  and  even  when  gleaning  from  old  fields,  surprises  us  by  th«  nov- 
elty of  his  obs  rvations  and  discoveries."-  Yankee  Blade. 

"As  a  writer  of  travels,  especially,  he  has  never  found  his  equal." — Buffalo  Democracy. 

"No  other  AmericfCn  traveller  has  passe<l  over  the  field  before  him,  and  his  narrative  is  a 
positive  addition  to  the  stock  of  human  knowledge. 

"  A  journey  wliich  led  him  into  fresh  untrodden  fields."— Ci^e»eZa?icZ  Plaindealer. 

"There  is  no  romance  to  us  quite  equal  to  one  of  Bayard  Taylor's  books  of  travel.  Fact 
■under  his  wonderful  pen  is  more  charming  than  Fiction." — Hartford  Republican. 

A  VISIT  TO  INDIA,  CHINA,  AND  JAPAN.  By  Bayard 
Taylor.  With  Frontispiece  and  Vignette  engraved  on  steel. 
Large  12mo,  pp.  504.     |1  50. 

"  Bayard  Taylor  is  certainly  a  remarkable  man.  The  more  we  see  of  him  in  his  writings 
and  the  more  we  hear  of  him,  the  more  we  admire  him.  He  is  decidedly  the  American  trav- 
eller and  travel-writer." — New  Haven  Courier. 

"  We  find  it  useless,  however,  to  search  for  passages  of  greater  length,  that  would  afford  any 
adequate  conception  of  the  instruction  and  delight  promised  by  this  work,  full  as  it  is  of  adven- 
ture, incident,  and  anecdote,  woven  together  in  a  rich  web  of  description." — Charleston  Cour 

"  Commence  where  you  will  in  this  last  book  of  his,  and  you  will  find  yourself  immediately 
interested,  and  will  reluctantly  leave  the  narrative." — Boston  Traveller, 

"In  some  respects  it  is  the  most  valuable  of  the  series,  for  though  less  furnished  with  the 
poetic  and  the  historical,  it  contains  more  of  description  and  information  concerning  scenes  and 
people  comparatively  new."— iV^.  F.  Independent 

"  The  fascination  surrounding  the  visions  of  India  which  from  youth-time  one  has  carried  in 
his  imagination  loses  none  of  its  enchantment  as  he  follows  Mr.  Taylor  through  his  volume; 
while  mysterious  China  and  Japan,  though  disrobed  of  the  veil  which  has  surrounded  them,  are 
as  inviting  to  curiosity  as  ever." — St.  Louis  Evening  News. 

"Not  a  page  of  this  book  but  is  replete  with  interest,  not  a  page  but  reveals  some  curious 
fact,  not  a  page  but  glows  with  some  vivid  description  or  humorous'  episode."— .A^  Y.  Saturday 
Courier. 


16  G.  P.  Pu'nam  &  Co.'s  Publications. 

EXTEAOEDINARY  NAERATIVE. 


A  PERSONAL  NARRATIVE  OF  A  VISIT  TO  EL  ME- 
DINAH  ANDMECCAH.  By  Lt.  Richard  Burton,  Bombay 
Army.  With  an  Introduction,  by  Bayard  Taylor.  With  a 
Map  and  two  Illustrations.    Large  l!2mo.     $1  50. 

The  history  of  this  curious  book  is  as  follows : 

Burton,  an  officer  in  the  East  India  Company,  having,  by  a  long  resi- 
dence in  Upper  India,  acquired  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the  Oriental  lan- 
guages and  customs,  projected  a  visit  under  the  auspices  of  the  Royal 
Geographical  Society,  to  the  Holy  City  of  Mecca  and  the  Tomb  of  the 
Prophet  at  Medina,  places  rarely,  if  ever  before  visited  by  any  English- 
man. This  lie  successfully  accomplished  in  1853-4,  disguised  as  a  Moham- 
medan Dervish.  The  history  of  the  pilgrimage  is  not  suri)assed  in  in- 
terest and  originality  by  any  book  of  travel  ever  published — embracing 
his  residence  at  Cairo  as  Mohammedan  student ;  the  journey  across  the 
desert  with  the  great  annual  caravan  of  Pilgrims;  the  visit  to  the  tomb 
of  Mohannned  ;  the  discovery  that  the  sacred  black  stone  of  Mecca  is  an 
aerolite  ;  the  annual  sermon  preached  at  Mecca  to  an  estimated  audience 
of  150,000  Pilgrims,  gathered  from*  all  parts  of  the  Moslem  w^orld  ;  his 
narrow  escapes  from  detection;  and  the  only  accurate  account  of  the  cere- 
monies of  the  Mussulman  faith. 

To  the  religious  community  this  work  furnishes  information  never  be- 
fore made  public,  respecting  the. ceremonial  laws  of  a  large  proportion  ot 
the  population  of  the  Eastern  Avorhl ;  while  for  general  interest  Burton's 
narrative  will  compare  favorably  with  either  Eothen.,  or  Crescent  and  the 
Cross. 

•-♦-• ■ 

MR.  STEWAET'S  NEW  WORK  ON  BRAZIL. 


BRAZIL  AND  LA  PLATA.  Personal  Narrative  of  a  Visit 
there,  1850-3.  By  Rev.  C.  S.  Stewart,  Chaplain  U.S.  Navy. 
Author  of  a  "  Visit  to  the  South  Seas,"  &c.  With  two  Illus- 
trations.    12mo,  ^1  25. 

*^*  This  very  interesting  volume  pives  a  variety  of  curious  and  entoraininsr  information, 
which  is  to  a  great  extent  novel  as  well  as  authentic  and  reliable.  It  Is  a  work  eminently 
suited  for  popular  reading  and  for  school  libraries,  &c. 


HON.  MISS  MURRAY'S  LETTERS. 


LETTERS  FROM  THE  UNITED  STATES,  CANADA  AND 
CUBA.  By  Hon.  Amelia  M.  Murray.  10th  thousand.  1  vol. 
12mo,  $1  00. 


DR.  KANE'S  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS. 


ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS;  The  Second  Grinnell  Expedition, 
1853-5.  By  E.  K.  Kane,  M.  D.,  U.  S.  N.  With  300  Illus-' 
trations  on  wood  and  steel,  beautifully  executed.  2  vols.  8vo.  $5. 


